Hospitals, doctors, surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, nurses, and other medical providers owe patients a certain duty of care. When failure to provide that quality of care causes medical mistakes, the patient is the one who suffers.
Our Anaheim medical malpractice lawyers want to remind you that it is important to start exploring your legal options as soon as possible if you or your loved one sustained injuries or developed health complications because of medical negligence. Although you have three years from the date of injury to file an Orange County, California medical malpractice case, there is a lot that needs to be done to help you obtain the maximum recovery possible.
Today, the California Department of Public Health announced that it is fining 12 hospitals in the state. Three of the hospitals are located in Orange County, California.
Western Medical Center was fined $75,000 because a number of medications and vaccines were stored at below freezing temperatures in 2009. As a result, five mothers suffering from Hepatitis B and some 1,641 newborns and were administered potentially defective vaccines for this virus. The local public health department is monitoring the babies who were born to moms with Hepatitis B, while the hospital has notified pediatricians and parents of all the babies that received vaccines. A re-vaccination clinic has been set up in the Santa Ana hospital. This is Western Medical Center's third fine by the state.
In Placentia, California, Placentia-Linda Hospital has been ordered to pay $25,000 for giving a patient the wrong knee implant in 2008. The patient, who experienced persistent pain following the procedure, was readmitted to the hospital the following year. X-rays show that an implant made for a right knee had been inserted in the patient's left side. He had to undergo another procedure to fix the surgical error.
The state is ordering Kindred Hospital to pay $25,000 after an obese, comatose patient lost 63 pounds and developed 11 pressure sores while staying at the facility. Staff members at the Westminster hospital are accused of failing to prevent and report the decubitus ulcers and neglecting to monitor the patient's nutritional needs and weight.
Medical professionals cannot afford to make mistakes when it comes to treating and monitoring their patients.
3 O.C. hospitals fined for patient errors, OC Register, November 12, 2010
CDPH Issues Administrative Penalties to 12 Hospitals, CDPH
Related Web Resources:
California Department of Public Health
Contact our Orange County, California medical malpractice law firm today.
