Want to stop hospitals from dumping poor patients on skid row? Try this.

[n2doc]

By Ted Rall
January 9, 2014, 6:00 a.m.
"In 2005 and 2006, patient dumping on L.A.'s skid row grabbed national headlines with images of mentally ill patients in hospital gowns, one holding a colostomy bag, being dropped off in ambulances, taxis and vans," The Times' Richard Winton writes. Major hospitals, including Kaiser Permanente, were forced to pay huge penalties and agree to tough new regulations for dumping indigent patients downtown.

"Hospitals don't like dealing with homeless patients, who are often uninsured and sometimes unpleasant to treat. So they literally dump them on the streets of skid row, even if the patients come from other places in Los Angeles and are in no condition to fend for themselves," "60 Minutes" reported in 2007.

Most people thought the problem had abated since hospitals got slapped with major fines.

Alas, we were wrong.

"In a settlement announced Friday, the 224-bed Beverly Hospital in Montebello agreed to pay $250,000 in civil penalties and legal fees after it was accused of taking a patient by taxi to skid row and leaving her there without making any arrangements with a shelter," Winton reports.

Charming.

So Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer says he's going after these miscreants.

Which brings me into the picture. I want to help!

more

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/opinion-la/la-ol-rall-patient-dumping-20140108,0,3677029.story