Post by red on Aug 19, 2008 18:01:24 GMT -8
LOS ANGELES - Eighteen hospitals in California were fined for state health code violations in which patients received shoddy care that in some cases led to deaths.
Violations included an improperly inserted catheter, a ventilator that wasn't turned on and surgical tools left inside patients after operations.
The fines made public Monday stem from investigations by the California Department of Public Health.
The hospitals were fined $25,000 for each violation — the latest of dozens of penalties the state has issued in recent years to more than 40 hospitals.
"The number of penalties will decrease and the quality of care will dramatically improve as hospitals take action to improve," said Kathleen Billingsley, director of the health department's Center for Healthcare Quality. "The entire intent of these fines is to improve the overall quality of care in California."
The report detailed a death at a La Mesa hospital in which a worker failed to turn on a ventilator for a patient who was being transferred. Another patient in Los Alamitos died after falling from a wheelchair with no seat belt on, and a Santa Ana hospital lost a patient from a medication overdose.
At Doctors Medical Center in San Pablo, a registered nurse improperly inserted a catheter into a patient's neck vein on Sept. 1, and the patient died as a result of an air bubble from the tube. The report found the nurse had not completed a required anatomy class or the hospital's training on protocol.
Defending himself in the report, the unidentified male nurse told investigators, "I am the pro of the hospital. The other nurses call me to put in IVs that they cannot get in."
A message seeking comment from the medical center was not returned Monday.
In other cases, patients had surgical instruments or sponges left inside their bodies during surgery, requiring a second surgery to retrieve the items. The report also found some patients experienced surgical awareness during their procedures due to improper anesthesia.
The state has issued 61 such penalties to 42 hospitals, Billingsley said.
news.yahoo.com/s/ap/hospital_fines;_ylt=AiX9N2hlYJi8F5Wkxew4KQoDW7oF
Hospital Administrative Penalties for Los Angeles County
LAC/USC Medical Center (PDF, New Window)
1200 North State Street, Los Angeles 90033, Los Angeles County - The hospital failed to provide adequate nursing staffing for a suicide watch and meet the needs of a patient. Administrative penalty issued based on finding during survey completed 6/11/2008.
Pomona Valley Medical Center (PDF, New Window)
1798 North Garey Avenue, Pomona 91767, Los Angeles County - The hospital failed to develop and implement policies and procedures related to accountability for the distribution of controlled substances, and for their timely elimination from the supply available fro dispensing to patients. Administrative penalty issued based on finding during survey completed 3/20/2008.
LAC/Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (PDF, New Window)
1000 West Carson Street, Torrance 90509, Los Angeles County - The hospital failed to ensure the safety of patients when it failed to accurately label tissue specimens which led to unnecessary surgery for one patient and resulted in a delayed treatment of another patient. Administrative penalty issued based on finding during survey completed on 2/8/2008.
LAC/Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (PDF, New Window)
1000 West Carson Street, Torrance 90509, Los Angeles County - The hospital failed to provide for the health and safety of patients accessing treatment in the emergency department by not providing screening examinations and stabilizing medical care and treatment in a timely manner for two patients. Administrative penalty issued based on finding during survey completed 2/1/2008.
Cedars Sinai Medical Center (PDF, New Window)
8700 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles 90048, Los Angeles County - The hospital failed to develop and implement policies and procedures and adequately educate staff on the safe use of medications. Administrative penalty issued based on finding during survey completed on 11/27/2007
LAC/Harbor - UCLA Medical Center (PDF, New Window)
1000 West Carson Street, Torrance 90509, Los Angeles County - The hospital failed to develop and implement policies and procedures for the safe use of self-administered medications, and failed to implement appropriate follow-up assessment processes. Administrative penalty issued based on finding during survey completed on 11/20/2007.
LAC/Olive View - UCLA Medical Center (PDF, New Window)
14445 Olive View Drive, Sylmar 91342, Los Angeles County - The hospital failed to develop and implement policies and procedures for accurate assessment, diagnostic review, and infection control, and for the maintenance of an integrated and specific patient medical record. Administrative penalty issued based on findings during a survey completed 11/02/2007.
LAC/Olive View - UCLA Medical Center (PDF, New Window)
14445 Olive View Drive, Sylmar 91342, Los Angeles County - The hospital failed to implement policies and procedures to ensure the availability of needed medications in order to minimize patients' adverse medical events. Administrative penalty issued based on finding during survey completed on 10/16/2007
Martin Luther King Harbor Hospital (PDF, New Window)
12021 S Wilmington Ave, Los Angeles 90059, Los Angeles County - Administrative penalty issued based on findings during a complaint investigation completed 06/07/2007
Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center (PDF, New Window)
1420 S Central Ave, Glendale 91204, LA County - Administrative Penalty issued based on findings during a survey completed 05/31/2007
Martin Luther King Harbor Hospital (PDF, New Window)
1303 E Herndon Ave, Los Angeles 90059, LA County - Administrative penalty issued based on findings during a complaint investigation completed 05/18/2007
www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/facilities/Pages/CountyLosAngeles.aspx