Memorial Health Services of Long Beach has acquired two Orange County hospitals in a deal that could cost more than 500 workers their jobs. Nonprofit Memorial Health Services purchased 139-bed La Palma Intercommunity Hospital and 205-bed Martin Luther Hospital Anaheim from Catholic Healthcare West of San Francisco. Terms were not disclosed. Catholic had bought the two hospitals in December from Burbank-based Unihealth. Ernst & Young consultants has been hired by Memorial Health to evaluate operations at La Palma and make recommendations about its future use, including possibly shutting the hospital or turning it into a trauma rehabilitation or psychiatric facility. The La Palma hospital employs 560 people.

