UC Davis Medical Center Fined $50,000

Multiple Hospitals hit with penalties

Sacramento, Calif.- The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued ten penalties today to California hospitals along with fines totaling $675,000 after investigations found the facilities’ noncompliance with licensing requirements caused, or was likely to cause, serious injury or death to patients.

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. New legislation took effect January 1, 2009, that increased fines for incidents that occurred in 2009 or later. Under the new provisions, 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. Incidents that occurred prior to 2009 are not counted when determining the fine amounts.

The following hospitals received penalties:

1. Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, Oakland, Alameda County: The hospital failed to ensure the health and safety of a patient when it did not follow established policies and procedures for the safe administration of parenteral nutrition. The penalty is $50,000. This is the hospital’s second administrative penalty.
2. Barlow Respiratory Hospital, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County: The hospital failed to ensure the health and safety of a patient when it did not follow established policies and procedures related to telemetry monitoring. The penalty is $50,000. This is the hospital’s first administrative penalty.
3. Desert Valley Hospital, Victorville, San Bernardino County: The hospital failed to ensure the health and safety of a patient when it did not follow established policies and procedures related to cardiac catheterization. The penalty is $50,000. This is the hospital’s first administrative penalty.
4. Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County: The hospital failed to ensure the health and safety of a patient when it did not follow established policies and procedures related to patient safety. The penalty is $50,000. This is the hospital’s second administrative penalty.
5. Marin General Hospital, Greenbrae, Marin County: The hospital failed to ensure the health and safety of a patient when it did not follow established policies and procedures relating to respiratory care. The penalty is $100,000. This is the hospital’s fourth administrative penalty.
6. Memorial Medical Center, Modesto, Stanislaus County: The hospital failed to ensure the health and safety of a patient when it did not follow established policies and procedures related to patient care. The penalty is $100,000. This is the hospital’s third administrative penalty.
7. Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County: The hospital failed to ensure the health and safety of a patient when it did not follow surgical policies and procedures. This resulted in a patient having to undergo a second surgery to remove a retained foreign object. The penalty is $50,000. This is the hospital’s first administrative penalty.
8. Sharp Memorial Hospital, San Diego, San Diego 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 $75,000. This is the hospital’s third administrative penalty.
9. St. Jude Medical Center, Fullerton, Orange 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 $100,000. This is the hospital’s fifth administrative penalty.
10. University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, Sacramento County: The hospital failed to ensure the health and safety of patients when it did not follow established policies and procedures related to patient care. The penalty is $50,000. This is the hospital’s first administrative penalty.

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.