10 California hospitals were hit with fines this week for health care violations. The fine for each violation, issued by the California Department of Public Health, is $25,000. The hospitals were required to present a plan of correction.
Among the 10 hospitals fined, 6 of them are Southern California hospitals:
• Anaheim General Hospital (Anaheim, Orange County): Poor food handling, inadequate oversight, and delay in maintenance of poor refrigeration equipment. Moldy and expired food items in refrigerators could have made patients sick.
• Ventura County Medical Center's Santa Paula Hospital: A patient had to undergo a second surgery after hospital staffers left a sponge in the cavity.
• Thousand Oaks Surgical Hospital (Thousand Oaks, Ventura County): A patient had to have a second operation after the hospital failed to follow procedures and medical workers left a sponge in her body.
• Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista: The failure to have a safe and efficient system for giving medications to patients may have resulted in one patient's death.
• Western Medical Center (Santa Ana, Orange County): Failure to investigate a physical assault allegation in a timely manner. In 2007, a patient was hit by a staff member and then ridiculed. The nursing director waited several days before questioning the worker and a few more weeks before notifying police.
• Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center (Orange County): Failure to follow procedures regarding how to administer medications correctly. Medication errors caused a patient to go into cardiac arrest and experience swelling of the brain.
The state of California has issued 71 violations to 49 California hospitals since January 1, 2007.
Procedural errors that occur in US hospitals, nursing homes, and other long-term care facilities can have catastrophic consequences if they cause injury, health complications, or death to a patient. For example: Poor food sanitation can lead to food poisoning and other food-related ailments, which can prove detrimental to an already sick patient. Administering too much or too little medication or the wrong drug to a patient can be fatal, as can surgical mistakes.
10 Calif hospitals fined for violating health code, MercuryNews.com, March 3, 2009
Medical Malpractice Overview, Justia
Related Web Resources:
Hospitals in Orange County, OrangeCounty.net
Our Anaheim medical malpractice attorneys at Howard Law know how overwhelming it can be to deal with your injuries or a loved one's death while trying to obtain your recovery from a negligent hospital, doctor, nurse, or another health care provider. Please contact our Orange, County personal injury law firm today and ask for your free consultation.
