Dive Brief:
- The California Department of Public Health announced Wednesday that it has fined 12 hospitals a total of $775,000 for violations of state standards that were serious enough to cause severe injury or death.
- The state health department is authorized to penalize hospitals under a state law from 2007 and can issue them throughout the year.
- In addition to facing the fines, hospitals must submit a plan of correction to illustrate how they will avoid similar subsequent violations.
Dive Insight:
The medical errors highlight the need for ongoing attention to standard procedures such as tracking surgical instruments; three of the 12 violations involved items left inside patients during surgery.
The price for such violations has increased for California hospitals. The fines have typically been $50,000 upon first violation, $75,000 upon second violation and $100,000 upon third and additional violations. However, those incidents occuring since April 1, 2014 are now priced at $75,000 for the first, $100,000 for the second, and $125,000 for the third and beyond.
The twelve hospitals include: California Pacific Medical Center - Pacific Campus Hospital, Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Desert Valley Hospital, Glenn Medical Center, Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego, Marin General Hospital, Mercy Medical Center, Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center, Redlands Community Hospital, San Diego County Psychiatric Hospital, Scripps Mercy Hospital - Chula Vista, and Seton Medical Center.