Dumped On Skid Row

Anderson Cooper Reports On The Practice Known As "Hospital Dumping"

(CBS)  The first rule in medicine is: do no harm. But doing harm is precisely what some Los Angeles hospitals are being accused of when it comes to patients who happen to be homeless.

As CNN's Anderson Cooper reports, the claim is that hospitals don’t like dealing with homeless patients, who are often uninsured and sometimes unpleasant to treat. So they literally dump them on the streets of Skid Row, even if the patients come from other places in Los Angeles, and are in no condition to fend for themselves.

While there have been allegations of hospital dumping for years, people only started paying attention to them because of a videotape recorded by a camera outside a homeless shelter.

---

The tape shows a 63-year-old homeless woman named Carol Ann Reyes wandering in the street. The pictures may seem unremarkable, but the story that goes with it is disturbing. Reyes had just been discharged from Kaiser Permanente Bellflower hospital where, after taking a fall, she had been treated for three days.

The hospital confirms she was put in a taxi and the driver was told to take her to Skid Row. Why was she wearing little more than a hospital gown? Because the hospital admits they had lost her clothes and sent her away without pants or even shoes. They did, however, give her a diaper.

"The cab came this way. He did a u-turn. Pulled around. And stopped. The driver didn't even get out of the car. The back door opened and this little lady got out in her hospital gown," says Rev. Andy Bales, who runs the Union Rescue Mission, the biggest shelter in Skid Row.

Skid Row is a 50 square-block area home to some 11,000 people, with the highest concentration of homeless in the country.

Asked if he was surprised to see Reyes get out of the taxi, Rev. Bales says, "I was stunned and shocked and frozen for a moment. I couldn’t believe my eyes. She was really confused."

She was confused, investigators later found, because she was suffering from dementia. That shouldn't have come as a surprise to Kaiser hospital officials.

Their own medical records show Reyes was disoriented as to time and place. Her speech was slurred, she had extremely high blood pressure, and a persistent cough and fever. Even with these medical problems, they decided to discharge her and sent her to the streets of Skid Row.

"They’re dumping a 62-year-old woman with dementia in the heart of Skid Row? That’s what’s going on. And it’s shocking and it’s criminal," argues Rocky Delgadillo, the Los Angeles City Attorney.

His office is investigating more than 50 cases of alleged homeless dumping on Skid Row. "These may be the perfect victims. Because a homeless individual dumped on Skid Row disappears into the chaos of Skid Row within minutes. It’s hard for us to find them and then get the evidence that we need."

What should hospitals do with homeless patients? The California Health Code requires all hospitals to make "appropriate arrangements for post-hospital care" and for "continuing health-care requirements" before discharging any patient.

Kaiser didn’t do that in Carol Ann Reyes' case, Delgadillo says. She was sent to Skid Row last March without any medication or instructions for follow-up care.

Asked what it's like down there, Delgadillo says, "Cardboard shanties. It’s a dangerous place, both physically, as well as the drug dealers that congregate on Skid Row, gangs that come here to find easy prey."

"Not the kind of place an elderly woman with dementia should be," Cooper remarks.

"No, in fact, if she’d made it around the corner, she might not be with us today," Delgadillo says.

Carol Ann Reyes is with us today because a worker from Bales' mission rescued her from the street. She’s now under the protection of a court-appointed conservator. She suffers from mild dementia and other medical problems. The conservator allowed 60 Minutes to videotape her meeting her lawyer, but not to ask her any questions. Her lawyers have filed suit against Kaiser hospital.

Before she was hospitalized, Reyes had been sleeping in a park, 16 miles away from the crime-ridden streets of Skid Row.

"Sometimes, individuals end up here that are just released from county jail," explains Deputy City Attorney Jose Egurbide, who investigates hospital dumping cases, and showed 60 Minutes around Skid Row.

[roach9703]

This is another legacy of abortion.

[norcalruss]

Yup, that is the legacy under the Bush administration. 500 billion and counting to kill people in Iraq but leave tens of millions of people without health care coverage. What does he care? Most of the uninsured either do not vote or vote for the Dems, while his folks have plenty of coverage. The US is the ONLY so-called industrialized nation that does NOT have universal health care. The richest, most powerful nation, on earth deserves better for its people. This must, and I think will change in the near future.

[mickgabe]

Right On...Well Said!

[kingsx6]

Huh? I don't recall having universal health care in this country under any President. But lets blame George Bush for this one too! Freakin Democrats, man!

[dhague]

I find it ironic that many community hospitals along the southern US border are in dire financial straits or have gone bankrupt because of Federal laws requiring them to provide medical care to immigrants without regard to their legal status or ability to pay - and it would seem that large medical facilities in "the big city" can get away with this sort of thing.

Many of the homeless, we have been told, are US military veterans, and I'd guess that a large percentage are US citizens. How can it be that they are entitled to less than someone who casually strolls across an undefended border?

[s7yh10]

This is an interesting story and very disturbing. Although, I am hesistant to believe every word. At 23 years old, I started my first hospital job on a med-surg floor in NY. I knew nothing about the medical field or homeless people.
I couldn't help but notice the smell as I entered the room. I wanted to do everything to help get this person on the right track. Before I took my first step into the room, I was being screamed orders at. I dropped the tray of food off and the patient replied, "What is this? I ordered two trays! Send it back! Wash my clothes!" I was blown away. I felt abused and unappreciated. As soon as this patient recieved everything demanded and had scolded every person on staff, they call a cab and took off. I still can't beleive what happened that day. Not to stereotype, I know not everyone is the same.

[s7yh10]

The system is abused. People admit themselves for a good nights sleep, free food, and a shower. The hospital is for critically ill patients. I'm sorry, but it is not a shelter. And the nerve, after being waited on hand and foot, and never once recieve a thank you, only criticize and demand more. It happens more than we think. As part of medical staff, I recieve a thank-you maybe 80% of the time. When when do, it changes our world.

whats this world coming to? our government dont even care... !!!!! God Help Us All!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[gunnerv1]

And just where was this person being transported to while in a hospital gown.

[beadazzle]

I don't care if your a democrate or a republican,no one on this earth deserves this kind of treatment. Also if the hospitals put people in a bed,they should make sure they actually have a serious medical problem and quit blaming everyone else for their problems.

As for health care for every one,well maybe you should talk to some of these people in other countries,it's not as good as you think. Take 8 months to get a gall bladder treated,or to have a heart problem taken care of. Not for me.

So it's a big problem either we continue to let the insurance companies rule the hospitals and family practices,or we revolt and say enough is enough and find a better solution and get off our ***** and quit whining.

Our parents revolted in the 60's,so it's our turn.

[littledoo38]

This issue is like many others. We do not need to divide any people further form one another by talking about political party's. The truth is that because our leaders are selfish and power hungery the entire world suffers from the inside out. When will this nation learn through love, and understanding? Some people are unaware that this life on earth is a school to learn from. If we don't care about our fellow human beings, no matter who they are then the truth is we bring a karmic issue back to our own selves. The people responsible have a debt to pay, they will not escape what they have done to this man. Where is the compassion? It seems far from America at times, and the world.

[shortfuse7]

I knew some buttcrack would blame Bush for this too. I hope your wife or mother dosent get pregnant. Bush will be to blame for that too. This practice was going on many years before you even heard of Bush....NUT

[dubdub32]

I lost my comment cause I forgot to sign in..I don't aggree with beedazzle...I am originally from Canada..my mom and sisters live in northern Ontario..mom is 102, sisters 85 and 83...in a emergency, they are flown out to the nearest hospital, non emergency, 2 to 3 weeks for a doctors visit..bout the same here in texas..I call the doc and it's usually 1 to 2 weeks of waiting time..it costs Ontario big bucks for this but its cheaper than the trillions spent by our dictator on the Iraq war..beedazzle is probably getting his info from the drug companies propaganda

[dubdub32]

I don't know about other countries, all I know is about Ontario canada...as far as Bush is concerned, if he's not acting like a dictator, then what is he acting like..his dad is a lot smarter then him, went in to do a job and left...now if Bush cared about the USA, he would take care of things at home before spending all that money for people who have been at war for over 2000 years..can y'all tell me how many more american boys and girls will die in Iraq? May he rot in hell

[ericv2644]

It is a practice not only of hospitals to dump the homeless but it is also the practice of many police depatments to dump homeless or mentally ill persons in the next jurisdiction so they don't have to deal with them.

[gypsyhotel]

Obviously, Anderson Cooper was more interested in playing the dramatic, then dealing with reality. In both of those cases, the woman's dementia (probably alcohol related Wiernicke's) and the paraplegic living in his car document the harsh realities of the american society and what support is offered to them. This is a government issue, to blame it on hospitals, who only tried to help them over the acute illness, and return them to their baseline, is ridiculous, they have to survive themselves, from a cost/benefit, there is no winning in helping the poor, and without support from government, forget it. That anderson didn't even address this is pathetic, he's playing to public emotion, look at the stupid naive questions he asked hospital officials, he's trying to boost his ratings and personal image. Shame on you, Anderson Cooper.

[bmikesci]

Good story! This shows clearly why we need a single payer, national health system. If you leave healthcare to the free market, you are guaranteed to get the very worst people administrating the systems. Moreover, the disconnect between some sort of social safety net and the hospital can only be inplaced if the administration is common. With per capita GDP at a little over $40K, there should be no difficulty treating everyone who needs treatment. The reason this woman was dumped on skid row is because administrators and other greedy people have huge salaries. At the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, the head administrator earns $750K. For a non-profit non-tax paying organization, this is shameful.

[dmm35]

Ok, I have a question for everyone. I know the hopsital has a responsibility, however where does it end? Are they supposed to send home patients with their staff so they dont end up back WHERE THEY CAME FROM in the first place? Want to know the solution? Socialized medicine, then everyone has insurance so the hospitals don't throw you out once they learn they arent going to make a profit on your care. Mr Olvera gave his address as a mission, he was taken to that address not once but TWICE, how much more was the hospital supposed to do? We need to wake up and see that this is a problem far larger than the 'get everyone a laptop in Cambodia' story.

[larryh491]

I'm a police officer from Northeast Ohio, (Cleveland area). Although we are no LA, we have
a homeless problem just like the rest of America, (Cleveland being one of the poorest big cities in America). Though what the hospital staff did was wrong in these situations, America's police officers are not surprised. We come into contact with people just like those portrayed on 60 minutes everyday. When other government entities fail at taking care of America's homeless, what should police officer, hospital staff, or social worker do? Take them home with us?

[spydercadet]

This is NOT the real story, it's only a story filled with half truths. Unfortunately, CBS did not feel the need to tell the real problem behind the "dumping" of people onto the streets. Does know what hospitals are faced with when this occurs. The people doing the "dumping" are NOT the administrators, or the owners, or the evil insurance companies. It is however, people like me, the doctors and nurses faced with these situations everyday. I began working in the medical field more than 25 years ago. That's when the big push from people like CBS 60 minutes reporters began to rally against putting people in institutions. Well, they got their way, what did everyone think was going to happen? This is it. I have on more than one occasion had to let people out of the hospital into cold dark nights, knowing that they would die shortly. Medicare and Medicaid do not pay for ongoing services, mental illness can not be used as a reason to keep people confined unless they are a danger to themselves or others, then it only lasts for 72 hours. We closed the institutions and opened the cold streets of cities and made a whole sub-culture of the homeless. This is NOT a result of the "Bush Administration" However, I do know that they are responsible for all ills that are inflicted on every human on this planet, after all aren't they evil personified? Please, get real, this has been going on for a very long time, even under you god - Bill Clinton.

[kathylee5]

It makes me angry to see hospitals scapegoated like this for government's failure to cope with the problem of homelessness and all its causes and cures. Politicians find it easier to point at "dumping" as if by doing this they are helping solve the problem when in fact what they are doing is shirking their own responsibility to find and fund real solutions.

60 Minutes presented this as "Bad, bad hospital". You're part of the problem if you imply Kaiser is insensitive dispite caring for so many indigent people daily. Why? Because the government won't insure indigent people the burden falls on hospitals. 60 Minutes owes its viewers an explanation that shows the way to a solution rather than blaming the hospital. You missed an opportunity to truly educate rather than to play "gotcha" with hospital adminitrators.

[sasi1-2009]

In Answer to: Posted by spydercadet

You bet it's been going on a long time -- try checking Reagan's administration. That is when it became illegal to hold anyone with mental problems more than 72 hours. Truthfully, there is no easy answer to this problem, and it is ridiculous to blame everything on the hospitals. They are not equipped to handle long term mental cases. It is a crime that most mental institutions have been shut down. Bush is rightfully guilty of many things, but this one isn't on his doorstep. Neither is it on Bill Clinton's. You had best check your facts before pointing fingers as all of you Republicans like to do. Truth is that Bill Clinton was a good president, and Bush is so stupid it is impossible to believe anything good of him.

[randalds]

The problem of dumping by hospitals and police agencies in the Skid Row area of Los Angeles has been going on a long time. However it's only recently become a "problem" that needs to be dealt with since the more well to do in L.A. have re-discovered the downtown area. throughout the downtown area, including the Skid Row area, old factories and warehouses are being converted into multi-million dollar lofts and condos. Once the well to do moved downtown they discovered, much to there horror, that homeless and mentally ill people were all over the place. of course they'd been there for years before these new yuppies moved down there, but now that they're there they want the homeless to go somewhere, anywhere, else. So the city in order to please these well to do'ers started the so-called Safe Streets Initiative, whose only real goal is to drive the homeless away by throwing them in jail of psychiatric hospitals. My wife was one of the RN's sent down there, but she got into trouble because she constantly refused to put homeless people on "hold" (commitment) if they didn't meet criteria. The city doesn't care about that, they just want the committed.

[ambimas]

While this may shck some of your viewers it is no shock to me that hospitals in L.A. have resorted to desperate measures. They have a 30 jump on the over crowding that will take place if the illegal immigrant crisis is not resolved by sending them back and securing our borders! If we don't act now every major city in America will feel this strain if they don't already. Politicians had better wake up or we'll have anarchy in this country with no solution. Where is the libs of hollywood with all their money? how can a 50 sq. block area exsist in their community? what a bunch of hippocrites!!!!!

[virgie58]

Those most frequently targeted by society are homeless and have mental illness. Despite attempts to destigmatize mental illness, discriminatory practices continue into the 21st Century. What makes this even worse is that the United States prides itself on its compassion to others - offering help. Is this a social or government problem? Well society elects the government....

While in graduate school working on my doctorate I had a major psychotic break with delusions and hallucinations. In a state of mind that is only compared to the contents of a Steven King novel - I ended up driving 1600 miles to escape people I perceives would kill me. I ended up in Northern New Mexico and became stuck in sand. The police came and placed me in handcuffs when he figured out I was a "not right" to protect himself. They then took me to a State hospital that held me for three weeks. And then one day informed me that I was going to be driven to Albuquerque and left at the bus station and I could find shelter from there - all because my truck had been towed by the police 100 miles away. I was still psychotic and delusion. I then proceed to call the Patient Advocate and plead my case that I was a woman and that my chances of being rape were astronomical. I angered everyone. But I won. They miraculously found me shelter nearby - in a matter of 5 minutes.

I suppose that is my suffering and my grace - because for a brief moment I too was considered homeless and beneath respect or dignity.

[papaofnate]

Dear %u201C60 Minutes%u201D CBS News:

%u201CDumped on Skid Row.%u201C aired May 20, 2007.
The hospital dumping of homeless is because homeless shelters refuse certain people when they are put on a list, because of being %u201Cdifficult%u201D at that shelter. The homeless person had a past %u201Cbehavior%u201D. Shelters refuse homeless. Hospitals are not hotels. Blaming the hospitals? (I noticed you didn%u2019t %u201CCBS investigate%u201D the shelters). People blame %u201Cthe government%u201D for not helping these homeless. How about blaming society? Better yet, when the ambulance driver has no where to take the poor Joe, how about bringing these unwanted homeless to CBS headquarters? Give Andy Rooney something real to *** and moan about, instead of just being another CBS fat cat complaining about pointless ***. Maybe after 100 years, CBS could actually be constructive, actually help people, and gain some respect.

Ed Donovan

[lestb35]

Posted by ambimas at 08:38 PM : May 20, 2007


Good point. What are we going to do with 30 million homeless,jobless illegal immigrants if we have an economic downturn?

[randalds]

They have a 30 jump on the over crowding that will take place if the illegal immigrant crisis is not resolved by sending them back and securing our borders!

Posted by ambimas at 08:38 PM : May 20, 2007

LOL! What an idiot! This has to be one of the most lame attempts to turn one problem into a screed on another that I've ever read! The vast vast vast majority of the homeless people in Los Angeles are American by birth you idiot! Most of them are White and Black!! Most of them are war veterans and most are mentally ill. I seriously doubt that there is even a single one that's in this country illegally. At least my wife who is a psychiatric RN has never seen one on her calls. Don't drag your fear of Hispanics into this issue because it does not belong! Better yet get off your butt and go into downtown L.A. and work on the problem yourself so you'll be able to see what an ignorant statement you just posted.

[randalds]

Good point. What are we going to do with 30 million homeless,jobless illegal immigrants if we have an economic downturn?
Posted by lestb35 at 08:51 PM : May 20, 2007

There are NOT 30 million illegal aliens in the US! There are about 44 million Americans of Hispanic descent and an estimated 10-12 million illegals on top of that. And I have never heard of a homeless illegal alien in Los Angeles. Never seen it either. This is about AMERICAN homeless mentally ill people and it has NOTHING to do with illegal immigration. Don't muddy the water with this cr*ap. This is a mental health crisis, not an immigration one, so get off your soap box.

[papaofnate]

WHAT?
we are talking about homeless people.
they are outside right now. when u r asleep, they are outside worried about absolutely everything. enjoy ur meal, enjoy ur sleep...

[greenvanholz]

Remember Californian Buck Helm? In the aftermath of the 1989 Bay Area Earthquake, this hardy longshoreman was amazingly plucked alive after four days in the rubble by dedicated searchers. Later, this story was featured in a movie Miracle on Interstate 880: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107578/

Unfortunately, Buck Helm only survived another month. As I remember it, he was under the care of Kaiser Permanente at the time. Here was a soul, resilient enough to survive 90 hours in the rubble, yet after he went under Kaiser%u2019s care, his health deteriorated. It could be that the time spent in the rubble damaged Mr. Helm organs or something like that. However, my gut instincts at the time told me different, after several personal experiences of my own with Kaiser, where they always seemed short-staffed.

These were the first hard experiences I had, seeing a large corporate entity drop its service quality level via counting beans and stopping bucks.

[papaofnate]

I'm sorry I am not Californian in ur shoes. I am a Sioux Indian n half Irish man just trying to understand u. I'm sorry you have it so bad there. I am just by myself here, pointing out things. Am without family here and I want to help u, but I'm not a person u want to discourage...

[papaofnate]

LETS BE HONEST. I SAW THE SHOW ABOUT "DUMPIMG" AND THE NETWORK HAS IT WRONG. I'M SURE CA PEOPLE ARE NOT SO BAD....

[papaofnate]

I NEVER INTENDED TO BBLAME ANY NURSE. GOD BLESS U ALL... I HOPE I NCAN LIVE TO HELP PATIENTS N NURSRSE.
, THIS IS MY PLEDGE.. LETS HELP PT.S N NURSES!

[papaofnate]

I'VE BEEN ATTACKED... I AM A BRAND NEW RN, A LPN 4 7 YRS... I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT BETTER...DON'T ATTACK ME, WE NEED TO STAY TOGETHERR, WHEN WE ALL SUPPORT WE WILL GET STRONGER..

[glowtown7]

As a member of the medical community and one whose job is to place the homeless in shelters and missions it is very frustrating to find housing and shelter in communities where the resources are limited. Declining National, State and local financial assistance for these people as well as limited mental healthcare has added to the number of homeless that are dropped off at the local "skid row." I am open to suggestions including sending the homeless home with those who cry foul the loudest. Put your money where your mouth is and support your local mission and shelter.

[dgarzila-2009]

I live in a residential hotel in skid row, we call this place Central City East , which is the map designated name of the community.



Never has Cedars Sinai Medical Center just dumped me into the streets nor have they ever not double or triple checked to make sure I am not putting them on when I say I live in Downtown skid row. I wished all other hospitals were like Cedars Sinai Medical Center.

The City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo has made our lives much better now because of the lawsuits he brought against those hospitals who have poor discharge planning and these hospitals also now have to treat the poor of Los Angeles with respect now.

We are not asking the hospitals to provide housing for the homeless, what we are asking is that they pay for more social workers who can network, such as Cedars Sinai does , making sure the homeless get to places they need to get to, either for respite care , board and care , etc.

Anderson Cooper has done a fine job of and has done justice in his report.

you can go to my blog , the only blog in skid row from a disabled resident who has lived here for 8 years.
http://www.centralcitye.blogspot.com

[pleasingman]

Anderson

A warm feely touching story but I think I have a brilliant solution..........we all know how MEXICO is dumping ILLEGALS here even encouraging them to come to El Norte.

Why doesnt the Mexican Gov't take one HOMELESS person in the USA for every ILLEGAL that has crossed into the USA ??? We would get buses, round up the homeless in every city, and send the homesless to Mexico.

We would rid the USA of 20 million homeless and give them all to MEXICO......and I for one think that is a fair trade. The peasant hoards crossing into here for the homeless living in a warm all year hospitable climate looked after by the Mexicans. Its the least they can do since we are looking after their uneducated peasant hoards that wander into the USA, droppign babies sending money home to Mexico so there is plenty of money the mexican govt gets to take car of the USA Homeless !!!

A problem solved by just using a little ingenuity.

Welcome to life int he 21st Century.....

[hercules691]

I was appalled that some hospitals are dumping patients out on the streets. It makes no difference if they are homeless they shouldn't be treated like dirt. It angered me to see that poor elderly woman and paralygic man just being thrown away like a peice of garbage. When I heard that the woman was confused and that her blood pressure was high I immediately thought about a stroke. Something needs to be done about this. I was glad to see that there are some attorneys working on it. Hopefully they can put a stop to it.

[dsmith1863]

I thank Mr. Cooper for looking into the stories of those who have no voice and no political power. It was such a shame when the political governments of Canada and the States banished institutionalized housing, decades ago, for the insane/mentally incompetent. And to think that this was all done to "protect their human rights". This is the most inhumane treatment of all, to assume that the community and families of those persons are competent enough to deal with the mental illness of a family member. I have seen scores of mentally ill homeless people who go without health care, without showers and without food for days...months - all because some idiot decided that that is their right!!! We need, as a society, to care for those who cannot care for themselves - and if that is to house them in an institution, I can think of no better solution. My thoughts are "politically INcorrect" to be sure, but they are humane and thoughtful for those who cannot help themselves! I ask you - WHERE IS OUR HUMANITY???!!!

[mhoward007]

Is this the main conclusion I should draw from this report? That not only should hospital systems care for those who have no ability or intention of paying for their services, but they also should pay for their care afterwards. How does it become a hospital's responsibilty to care for people after medical care has been completed? If I were charitable enough to take care of a homeless person for a few days and decide to take him back to skid row, should I expect a knock on my door from Anderson?

[metalmd]

Unfortunately Anderson Cooper has greatly missed the point on this issue.

The problem isn't that fact that patients are dumped or untreated, the problem is hospitals and other health care providers are being forced to do, what no other person or business, in this country, is expected to do.

And that is to provide a service, without getting any compensation for providing that surface.

As long as health care providers are required to treat anyone, regardless of the ability to pay, and are not being reimbursed for that care, where is the incentive to treat such people.

What ultimately will happen is, a greater proportion of health care costs will be shifted to those that currently have insurance, forcing costs to rise dramatically, forcing more people to go without insurance, and creating an even greater burden on health care providers.

It is an endless cycle which will ultimately lead to the whole health care system collapsing under its own weight, and the only ones who will be able to afford health care will be the super rich.

We can no longer continue to treat health care like a commodity distributed according to the ability to pay, rather than a social service distributed according to need.

[metalmd]

Unfortunately Anderson Cooper has greatly missed the point on this issue.

The problem isn't that fact that patients are dumped or untreated, the problem is hospitals and other health care providers are being forced to do, what no other person or business, in this country, is expected to do.

And that is to provide a service, without getting any compensation for providing that surface.

As long as health care providers are required to treat anyone, regardless of the ability to pay, and are not being reimbursed for that care, where is the incentive to treat such people.

What ultimately will happen is, a greater proportion of health care costs will be shifted to those that currently have insurance, forcing costs to rise dramatically, forcing more people to go without insurance, and creating an even greater burden on health care providers.

It is an endless cycle which will ultimately lead to the whole health care system collapsing under its own weight, and the only ones who will be able to afford health care will be the super rich.

We can no longer continue to treat health care like a commodity distributed according to the ability to pay, rather than a social service distributed according to need.

[nannettemc]

60 Minutes fell short at tonight's "Dumped on Skid Row". The full scope of the problem was not explored while hospitals were singled out as the culprit. If Social Services, Mental Health Organizations, Homeless Shelters and the like are unable to adequately manage the complex social issues facing the homeless, why would you expect hospitals, discretely charged with managing healthcare, to do any better at finding the resources needed following a hospital stay. Shame on all of us for not doing a better job of this.

[mhoward007]

Is this the main conclusion I should draw from this report? That not only should hospital systems care for those who have no ability or intention of paying for their services, but they also should pay for their care afterwards. How does it become a hospital's responsibilty to care for people after medical care has been completed? If I were charitable enough to take care of a homeless person for a few days and decide to take him back to skid row, should I expect a knock on my door from Anderson?

[librablue-2009]

In the first place, these hospitals are not following the California Health Code. Is it only applicable for those who have health care insurance?

No matter what, there is absolutely no excuse for dumping anyone, especially someone with dementia, out on the streets without their clothing and follow up instructions, or dumping a parapalegic on the streets without a wheelchair or walker. Ms. Reyes and Mr. Olvera were not merely homeless, they were also severly disabled and the hospitals acknowledged it.

Like so many other %u201Cbusinesses,%u201D hospitals are willing to take the risk because chances are slim that they will ever be exposed for something like this. In my opinion, their excuses sounded hollow.

I don%u2019t understand the attacks on Anderson Cooper. If his report helps to get attrocities like this exposed and changed then I don%u2019t care what opinions people have about his intentions. Frankly, he could have done a more %u201Cglamorous%u201D story if he was looking for attention.

[randalds]

bty, RandalDS, u r a complete idiot. FU *******!


Posted by papaofnate at 09:55 PM : May 20, 2007


Hmmmm....some people should give up the raw alcohol.

Anyway tomorrow my wife will again be going out into L.A. to try to provide psychiatric services for people in Los Angeles County as an RN for the county. She and many of our friends who are also in the psychiatric field are dedicated people, but they resent being used by city politicians to try to clean up the homeless problem downtown, just to please the new well to do condo owners who've moved in down there. The crack down has cleaned up skid row to some extent, but all it really has down is to drive the homeless out into the Valley (San Fernando) and out to the shoreline in Santa Monica and Venice. When the police crack down is over they'll all migrate back downtown because that's were the homeless services are. All Los Angeles is doing is sweeping the problem from one place to another, without doing a thing to try to fix it. Now the county is talking about stopping psychiatric services for the homeless completely, at the hospital and for emergencies. It's inhuman and inhumane.

[metalmd]

Unfortunately Anderson Cooper has greatly missed the point on this issue.

The problem isn't that fact that patients are dumped or untreated, the problem is hospitals and other health care providers are being forced to do, what no other person or business, in this country, is expected to do.

And that is to provide a service, without getting any compensation for providing that surface.

As long as health care providers are required to treat anyone, regardless of the ability to pay, and are not being reimbursed for that care, where is the incentive to treat such people.

What ultimately will happen is, a greater proportion of health care costs will be shifted to those that currently have insurance, forcing costs to rise dramatically, forcing more people to go without insurance, and creating an even greater burden on health care providers.

It is an endless cycle which will ultimately lead to the whole health care system collapsing under its own weight, and the only ones who will be able to afford health care will be the super rich.

We can no longer continue to treat health care like a commodity distributed according to the ability to pay, rather than a social service distributed according to need.

[caljoe55]

(continuation of first half, sent by mistake button push)

Hospitals and doctors, though, are expected by our society, to somehow "magically" improve the lives of people, regardless of their finances, lack of family support or income, and "chauffeur" these people to wherever they want to go after leaving the hospital. This is clearly a double standard. These people can't even pay for the expensive treatment they've gotten in the hospitals in the first place. If hospitals and doctors had unlimited financial resources to provide medical and social services to all Americans, as is the case in other first world countries, I would have no issue with Mr. Cooper's report. American voters, though, do not have the political will to provide universal health care and social services to their fellow Americans citizens, and I do not see this ever happening during my lifetime. Do not "blame" one or two hospitals for situations that reflect problems of American society in general.

Joseph Warren, MD, OB/GYN, Redlands CA

[metalmd]

Unfortunately Anderson Cooper has greatly missed the point on this issue.

The problem isn't that fact that patients are dumped or untreated, the problem is hospitals and other health care providers are being forced to do, what no other person or business, in this country, is expected to do.

And that is to provide a service, without getting any compensation for providing that surface.

As long as health care providers are required to treat anyone, regardless of the ability to pay, and are not being reimbursed for that care, where is the incentive to treat such people.

What ultimately will happen is, a greater proportion of health care costs will be shifted to those that currently have insurance, forcing costs to rise dramatically, forcing more people to go without insurance, and creating an even greater burden on health care providers.

It is an endless cycle which will ultimately lead to the whole health care system collapsing under its own weight, and the only ones who will be able to afford health care will be the super rich.

We can no longer continue to treat health care like a commodity distributed according to the ability to pay, rather than a social service distributed according to need.