[2] The department's administrative headquarters is located in Downtown Los Angeles's Civic Center, at the corner of Figueroa and Temple Streets.

Municipal governments, under Section 17000 of California's Welfare and Institutions Code, are responsible as safety net health care providers.

[8] On May 30, 2006, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors tentatively approved the establishment of Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH) as a separate department, primarily to buffer DPH from DHS' recurring budget shortfalls and to separate public health functions, including enforcement of laws, from DHS.

The Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center provides physical therapy services to individuals around the country.

Christina Ghaly, M.D., leads DHS as the Director of Health Service and reports to the LA County Board of Supervisors.

DHS leadership also includes: Hal F. Yee Jr., M.D., Chief Deputy Director of Clinical Affairs; Nina J.

Park, M.D., Chief Deputy Director of Population Health; Clemens Hong, M.D., Director of Community Programs; Shari Doi, Director of Patient Access; Allan Wecker, Chief Financial Officer; Kevin Lynch, Chief Information Officer; and Elizabeth Jacobi, Administrative Deputy[5] Two hospitals in the DHS system, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and the Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, were ranked "best" in the 2012-13 rankings of U.S. News & World Report's America's Best Hospitals: Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center has consistently been ranked as one of "America's Best Hospitals" since 1989.

Over the past 20 years, the number of births performed at DHS hospitals has declined substantially since Medi-Cal expanded coverage for pregnant women in the 1990s.

This program is part of a Medicaid Demonstration Project designed to provide LADHS with federal fiscal relief to preserve vital community clinic capacity, to increase access to primary, dental, and specialty care services, and to develop Community Partners for the provision of these services.

The Community Partner Program provides Primary, specialty, and dental care services are available to people of all ages who reside in Los Angeles County and whose net family income is at or below 133-1/3% of the Federal Poverty Level (or are General Relief (GR) Recipients), and who do not qualify for Medi-Cal or any other government or third-party assistance programs.

Housing for Health began enrolling participants on March 1, 2007 and is funded by LA County Homeless Prevention Initiative.

[34] DHS will operate a primary care clinic and a supportive housing development lab in the Star Apartments, which is a 100 unit apartment complex in Downtown Los Angeles' Skid Row under construction for the chronically homeless by the Skid Row Housing Trust.