The cafeteria at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica was closed after staff reported a "small number" of cockroaches, the hospital said in a statement.
Hospital staff reported a "small number" of roaches found this week in the cafeteria at the hospital despite regular checks, officials said.
"The kitchen has been closed for two days to safely and effectively manage the problem, under the guidance of county health officials. We expect to reopen Saturday," a hospital spokeswoman said in a news release.
Patients' meals are prepared in another area of the hospital and are being served as usual, hospital officials said.
This incident comes just months after Saint John's performed well in a four-day survey by The Joint Commission, which conducts thorough inspections of California's hospitals every 18 to 36 months.
Prolonged hot weather has been blamed for forcing bugs into buildings in search of food and water.
"Saint John's apologizes for the inconvenience to our visitors, physicians and staff and, while it's difficult to control these natural occurrences, pledges continued diligence in ensuring cleanliness and safety," officials said.
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Shalimi Verma, a hospital visitor, was shocked.
"This is not a Third World country or a developing country," she said. "They should always be proactively taking steps that there is no sort of roach problem or any potential infectious disease problem," she said.
