California Fines Hospitals For Shoddy Care

Patients Deaths Linked To Negligent Care; $25,000 Fines Issued For Health Code Violations

(AP)  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 was not 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.

[patriot12436]

I agree. If a perrsn is illegal they should be denied treatment. It is our dime and i am tired of paying for t.

[makemyday2da]

PaganMama - There''s a link in the first paragraph of the article which will take you to a site that lists the hospitals. Since my oldest son was hospitalized a few days ago near San Diego, I was anxious to check it out. Fortunately, the hospital was NOT listed among those penalized.

[paganmama]

Why didn''t the article mention the names of these hospitals? We have the right to know.

In July US News and World Report ran a list of the "best hospitals" in the US. Looks like they should follow-up with a list of the worst.

[jdubs63]

baptox............. if you witnessed this dressing change tthen why did you NOT speak up?I would not let this fly by me. Everyone wants to complain and have a better story but do do something at that moment ...

[erasmus81]

Wonder why we dont hear stories like this from countries with universal health care? ------------------------------------- Posted by onemoretim


Because those governments also control the flow of information, and simply choose not to release the reports. Posted by DaVicar2 at 07:57 AM : Aug 20, 2008

I think you should stick to what you know. Which isn''t much from the sounds of it.

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."
--------------
Now that''s reassuring.

[tootall10142]

I was arrested and jailed for ninety days because i told my mothers doctors that if a independent autopsy showed negligence then a law suit would never enter the picture.I told them they would not live long enough to make it to court.If they had any doubts about thier ability to treat her right and with compassion then they neede to for thier sake speak up right now.I did my ninety days and when i got out of county i set for three weeks at the hospital and was there every time her doctors came and went.i intimidated the hell out them .Now with said i will tell you she has three grandsona that are doctors and they thought this was not only a little amusing but when they came to visit her the doctors would come around.She is fine now and at home .

[slim1h2o]

I guess they got their money and that was all they were concerned about anyhow.

Posted by SkyFive at 11:40 PM : Aug 19, 2008

It''s all about the money, and sc/rew the patient.

These doctors and hospitals that prey on patients will certainly burn in he11.

[mommakat64]

Why was my name/password suddenly wrong????

I was merely telling the folks on this blog about my scoliosis...it''s an hereditary curved/twisted spine disease, that causes pain that can seem like sciatica, but it gets steadily worse. It''s to the point were I am in pretty constant pain, with some paralysis and numbness in my right hip and thigh. My Neuro/Orthopedic surgeon has told me that if it gets worse, they''ll have to operate to remove the nerve from my back. When I bend at the waist and uncover my back, you can faintly see the curve. 28 years ago, I was told during a physical exam that I''d had it from my late teens, but it had stopped. No one caught for almost 30 years. But my pain and disablity grew, now it''s too late to fix it.

[mommakat64]

Labrat, if things were so great before Bush, why was Hillary in such a rush to get the country into "universal health care" the first year of Bill''s eight. And she''s still trying for it. Be creative with blame, Labrat. Health care has been a hugely growing problem for years. It started when hospitals became corporations instead of health care centers. My family was with Kaiser for 20 yrs...I complained about a bad hip and back for that many years. They handed me pills..at one point I was on 14 meds. 1 1/2 yrs out of Kaiser, I''m on 5 meds and was sent to a Neuro/orthopedic surgeon who took an xray and found scoliosis, not sciatica, and it''s too late for any help, just pain and paralysis. HMOs and Kaiser type places of business, NOT health, don''t allow any real help for patients...that might cut into the profits. Now medications are obscenely priced and hospitals are becoming places were people die because people only go there when they really, really have to...but, by then, while they still can''t afford it and, usually, it''s too late. A hospice is a better place than most hospitals. Get this, the Oregon Health Plan won''t OK a woman''s cancer treatment (it costs too much for them to include in their plan), BUT, they''ll pay for the pain meds to help her die...***?!?! BTW, Labrat, Oregon is run by Dems lock, stock and barrel.