The California Department of Public Health has issued fines to 12 hospitals across the state totaling $775,000 after finding the hospitals caused or were likely to cause serious injury or death to patients due to noncompliance.
In its investigations, CDPH found various patient safety issues at the hospitals, such as:
- Leaving foreign objects, such as drain bulbs and surgical sponges, in patients after surgery
- Placing a premature newborn under an unregulated warmer, causing a temperature spike and burns
- Placing a chest tube in a surgical patient on the wrong side
The full list of hospitals, along with their penalty amount, is below. Find more information from the CDPH about each hospital's infraction here.
1. California Pacific Medical Center-Pacific Campus Hospital (San Francisco) — $75,000
2. Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula (Monterey) — $50,000
3. Desert Valley Hospital (Victorville) — $50,000
4. Glenn Medical Center (Willows) — $50,000
5. Kaiser Foundation Hospital-San Diego — $75,000
6. Marin General Hospital (Greenbrae) — $100,000
7. Mercy Medical Center (Merced) — $100,000
8. Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center (Fountain Valley) — $75,000
9. Redlands Community Hospital (Redlands) — $50,000
10. San Diego County Psychiatric Hospital — $50,000
11. Scripps Mercy Hospital-Chula Vista — $50,000
12. Seton Medical Center (Daly City) — $50,000
Hospitals are required to submit a plan of correction to the CDPH and can appeal the penalty by requesting a hearing within 10 calendar days of a notification.