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. The hospital is going to resolve the problem of turning homeless patients out on the streets after they have been discharged while they are still in need of medical attention.
According to LAS VEGAS SUN, the Good Samaritan Hospital near downtown Los Angeles cleared up the lawsuit with a $450,000 fine. City Attorney Mike Feuer stated on Thursday that the hospital has also agreed to follow the protocols to properly release homeless patients.
This brings the amount of such settlements with area hospitals to $1.9 million since January 2014. Hospitals are not required to follow particular discharge protocols for homeless patients, even though a city law makes releasing homeless patient illegal.
"There is no place in our society for patient dumping," Feuer stated. The LA Attorney also added, "We all know how vulnerable any of us would be when we're released from a medical facility. Imagine how much more vulnerable one would feel if one were released and had no place to go."
THE BIG STORY reported that the city attorney's office revealed that the Good Samaritan court case involves a former patient who was found on the streets in December 2014 with a visibly infected leg. Feuer went on to claim that the patient was found a few miles away from downtown after being discharged from the hospital's emergency room with only a bus token.
Because of the incident, he had to be hospitalized again for his infection. The hospital fights the accusations and Good Samaritan settled the lawsuit to avoid protracted litigation.
"Good Samaritan Hospital remains committed to providing accessible, quality, cost-effective and compassionate health care services," the facility claimed in a statement. It went on to say, "Our goal is to deliver the best possible care to anyone who comes through our door."
The hospital claimed that its standard practice is to work with homeless patients on discharge plans. It includes placing them in appropriate facilities "if the patient accepts the recommendations."
Moreover, the city attorney also disclosed that a Kaiser Permanente Hospital also put a woman in a taxi and sent her to the neighborhood even though she had serious untreated health problems. The next year, a paraplegic man was dropped by a van driver after being discharged from the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, Richmond mentioned.
Meanwhile, these hospitals settled their cases. But Feuer vowed that he is working to get hospitals to adapt to protocols properly discharging homeless patients, but they have yet to agree.
