Loma Linda University Health agrees to pay nearly $8 million settlement for improper disposal of hazardous waste, medical records
Loma Linda University Health officials agreed to pay a nearly $8 million settlement over a lawsuit that alleged the hospital improperly disposed of hazardous waste and confidential medical records.
The civil action lawsuit was filed in April 2022 after a multi-year investigation "focused on how waste generated at hospitals, clinics, and medical facilities within the Loma Linda University Health network was being identified, handled, stored and disposed of," said a news release from the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office, which worked in conjunction with the Riverside County District Attorney's Office on the case.
Investigators found "numerous instances" where regulated waste was improperly disposed of in regular trash containers. They found hazardous pharmaceutical waste, batteries, aerosol cans, medical waste and documents that contained protected health information during a series of waste inspections on receptacles destined for disposal at municipal landfills.
"The investigation also identified materials containing protected health information, including patient information that should have been shredded, erased, or otherwise rendered unreadable before disposal," the District Attorney's release said.
Under the settlement, San Bernardino County officials said that Loma Linda will pay $7.5 million, including $6.75 million in civil penalties, $500,000 to reimburse investigative and enforcement costs and $250,000 to fund environmental projects benefiting California communities. The judgment stated that $1 million of the original $8.5 million settlement ordered was to be suspended for for five years and could be imposed if the health system fails to spend $3 million on required compliance measures, the release said.
They are also now ordered to comply with a permanent injunction prohibiting future violations of California laws governing hazardous and medical waste and the protection of confidential medical information. The settlement also said that Loma Linda must "maintain and enhance a comprehensive compliance program."
The District Attorney's Office said that Loma Linda University Health was cooperative during the investigation and that they "undertook significant corrective actions" that included a system-wide overhaul of waste management programs, improvements to waste handling procedures and modifications to employee training.
Upon request for comment, Loma Linda University Health officials shared a statement with CBS LA.
"LLUH became aware of concerns related to the appropriateness of disposal practices, including instances in which certain materials placed in landfill-bound containers did not fully align with established disposal requirements or internal policies," the statement said, in part. "Once this issue was identified, immediate corrective actions were taken, including conducting comprehensive reviews of waste management practices across our facilities, strengthening oversight, and implementing enhanced, mandatory training for employees and physicians focused on correct waste segregation and disposal."
The Loma Linda University Health system has several locations across the Inland Empire, including hospitals in Loma Linda and Murrieta.
