Sacramento, California - The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued 10 penalties today to 10 California hospitals along with fines totaling $700,000 after investigations found the facilities’ noncompliance with licensing requirements caused, or was likely to cause, serious injury or death to patients.
The following hospitals received penalties. Please click on the link below for specific incident information:
1. Beverly Hospital, Montebello, Los Angeles County: The hospital failed to ensure the health and safety of a patient when it did not follow policies and procedures regarding the treatment and care of a patient. The penalty is $50,000. This is the hospital’s first Immediate Jeopardy administrative penalty.
2. John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, Indio, Riverside County: The hospital failed to ensure the health and safety of a patient when it did not follow policies and procedures regarding the treatment and care of a patient. The penalty is $100,000. This is the hospital’s sixth Immediate Jeopardy administrative penalty.
3. Kaiser Foundation Hospital – Woodland Hills, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles County: The hospital failed to ensure the health and safety of a patient when it did not follow policies and procedures for safe distribution and administration of medication. The penalty is $50,000. This is the hospital’s first Immediate Jeopardy administrative penalty.
4. Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, San Bernardino County: The hospital failed to ensure the health and safety of a patient when it did not follow policies and procedures regarding the treatment and care of a patient. The penalty is $50,000. This is the hospital’s third Immediate Jeopardy administrative penalty.
5. Mark Twain Medical Center, San Andreas, Calaveras County: The hospital failed to ensure the health and safety of a patient when it did not follow surgical policies and procedures. The penalty is $50,000. This is the hospital’s second Immediate Jeopardy administrative penalty.
6. Palomar Medical Center, Escondido, San Diego County: The hospital failed to ensure the health and safety of a patient when it didn’t follow established policies and procedures regarding the treatment and care of a patient. The penalty is $50,000. This is the hospital’s first Immediate Jeopardy administrative penalty.
7. Rideout Memorial Hospital, Marysville, Yuba County: The hospital failed to ensure the health and safety of a patient when it did not follow policies and procedures for safe distribution and administration of medication. The penalty is $50,000. This is the hospital’s first Immediate Jeopardy administrative penalty.
8. Southwest Healthcare, Murrieta, Riverside County: The hospital failed to ensure the health and safety of a patient when it did not follow policies and procedures regarding the treatment and care of a patient. The penalty is $100,000. This is the hospital’s thirteenth Immediate Jeopardy administrative penalty.
9. UCSF Medical Center, San Francisco, San Francisco County: The hospital failed to ensure the health and safety of a patient when it did not follow policies and procedures for safe distribution and administration of medication. The penalty is $100,000. This is the hospital’s ninth Immediate Jeopardy administrative penalty.
10. University of California, San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, San Diego County: The hospital failed to ensure the health and safety of a patient when it did not follow established policies and procedures regarding the safety of a patient. The penalty is $100,000. This is the hospital’s sixth Immediate Jeopardy administrative penalty.
Administrative penalties are issued under authority granted by Health and Safety Code section 1280.1. Incidents that occurred prior to 2009 carry a fine of $25,000. On January 1, 2009, the fines increased for incidents that occurred in 2009 or later. Under this provision, an administrative penalty carries a fine of $50,000 for the first violation, $75,000 for the second, and $100,000 for the third or subsequent violation by the licensee.
As of April 1, 2014, newly adopted regulations allow CDPH to assess an administrative penalty for incidents occurring on or after said date, against a specified licensee for a deficiency constituting an immediate jeopardy violation up to a maximum of $75,000 for the first administrative penalty, up to $100,000 for the second, and up to $125,000 for the third and every subsequent violation.
When hospitals receive their survey findings, they are required to provide CDPH with a plan of correction to prevent future incidents. Hospitals can appeal an administrative penalty by requesting a hearing within ten calendar days of notification. If a hearing is requested and the penalty upheld following an appeal, the penalties must be paid.
All hospitals in California are required to be in compliance with applicable state and federal laws and regulations governing general acute care hospitals, acute psychiatric hospitals, and special hospitals. The hospitals are required to comply with these standards to ensure quality of care.
