Activists protest closure of emergency room hospital in Contra Costa

SAN PABLO, Calif. (KGO) -- A small but loud protest against the closure of Doctors Medical Center on Friday in San Pablo.

The crowd chanted: "Down with the closure, boo, boo! Up with the patients, yeah, yeah!"

The hospital operates one of the few emergency rooms in western Contra Costa County. But it's running out of money. Last month, it stopped accepting ambulances.

According to an internal memo released by the California Nurses Association, the hospital is now exploring options to sell medical offices, and potentially the whole facility, to the nearby Lytton San Pablo casino.

The casino currently leases parking in the back of the hospital.