New ‘Patient Dumping’ Case Under Investigation in L.A.
Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo is investigating an alleged case of "patient dumping" by a Kaiser Permanente hospital, the Los Angeles Daily News reports.
Kaiser's Baldwin Hills hospital is accused of transporting a 26-year-old patient to a homeless shelter in downtown Los Angeles after another facility refused to accept the patient, who was using a walker.
The American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing the patient, said the first facility declined to accept the patient because it cannot accommodate patients using walkers.
Kaiser spokesperson Jim Anderson said Kaiser had notified the first facility that it would be transporting the patient there and that the patient was using a walker. Anderson said the patient agreed in writing to be transported to the facility (Cavanaugh, Los Angeles Daily News, 7/12).