LA’s Good Samaritan Hospital, Accused Of ‘Patient Dumping,’ Agrees To Pay $450K Settlement
The agreement comes as part of a crackdown on the hospitals that are suspected of improperly discharging patients. Good Samaritan is the fourth hospital in less than three years to settle a lawsuit over the problem.
The Associated Press:
Los Angeles Hospital Settles Over Leaving Patient On Street
A fourth Los Angeles-area hospital in less than three years has settled a lawsuit over a chronic problem in the nation's second-largest city — turning homeless patients out on the streets after they have been discharged, sometimes while still needing medical attention. Without acknowledging fault, Good Samaritan Hospital near downtown Los Angeles settled for $450,000 and agreed to follow protocols to properly release homeless patients, City Attorney Mike Feuer said Thursday. That brings the amount of such settlements with area hospitals to $1.9 million since January 2014. (4/21)
The Los Angeles Daily News:
Good Samaritan Hospital To Pay $450,000 Settlement In Patient Dumping Case
Good Samaritan Hospital, located at 1225 Wilshire Boulevard, allegedly discharged a homeless patient in Echo Park in December 2014 without obtaining the person’s consent to be transported somewhere other than a residence, according to City Attorney Mike Feuer’s office. The hospital also allegedly didn’t prepare a proper discharge plan and caused the patient to be moved to an environment where the patient’s health was endangered, Feuer’s office said. (Smith, 4/21)
The Los Angeles Times:
Patient Dumping Accusation Leads To $450,000 Settlement From Good Samaritan Hospital
The agreement comes as part of a crackdown by the city attorney's office on hospitals suspected of improperly discharging patients. So far, the city has collected $2 million in fees, fines and other payments from four hospitals. “Patient dumping is inhumane and must be stopped,” Feuer said. “The public perception is that this only happens on skid row, but as this case illustrates it can happen in other neighborhoods too.” (Winton, 4/21)
KPCC:
LA Settles 'Patient Dumping' Case With Good Samaritan For $450K
Feuer said his office has met with the Hospital Association of Southern California to try to get all of the region's medical centers to institute standard discharge protocols. The Hospital Association has not responded to a request for comment. "We know this is a complex situation," Feuer said. That’s why "at the very inception, before there is a patient, hospitals should have a preexisting relationship with locations to which one could be discharged for recuperative care." (Aguilera, 4/21)