Los Angeles, Ca (The Weekly Vice) -- Civil rights groups and a law firm sued a Los Angeles hospital for dumping a homeless, paraplegic man on skid row in February, 2007.
The lawsuit alleges that the Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital dumped a mentally ill patient on skid row in a soiled hospital gown. Witnesses who came to the man's aid found him crawling along the sewer drains dragging his belongings behind him with his teeth.
The man reportedly came to the hospital to be treated for a urinary tract infection. The hospital refused the treatment and instead attempted to transport the paraplegic man to a local homeless shelter. When the shelter refused to take the man, the hospital dumped the untreated patient on skid row before a street of witnesses and even a security camera.
"[The witnesses] were so filled with outrage about the treatment of this patient that they stepped forward and they shared that not only did the man have to fling himself out of the van onto the street but that the driver was only concerned that her van seat had been soiled and she was applying makeup and perfume as she drove off and left the guy laying in the street." said Union Rescue Mission president Andy Bales.
Back in May of 2007, Hollywood Presbyterian released a statement which promised to adopt a policy similar to that of other hospitals agreeing to find shelter places for all patients. Attorneys for the victim in the case contend in their suit that the hospital has failed to follow through on that promise.
The Weekly Vice Reaction:
The last time I was unfortunate enough to require hospital care, I stayed for a few hours and the hospital ran some routine tests. The bill ran into the thousands although the tests conducted were simple $75 clinical sample tests.
Private hospitals thrive on massive revenue, city subsidies and tax advantages. How often after all do you see a hospital having a "going out of business" sale? What would a used bed pad be worth anyway?
The Vice contends that hospitals who thrive on it's monopoly of the sick while receiving perks and incentives from public sources should be banned from releasing a patient into a potentially harmful environment that's incompatible with his/her ailments.
The fact that the hospital should be sued in order to compel the hospital into civilized health practices is an outrage. Our government has seen fit to regulate everything else in hospital operations, yet the user of those operations is beholden to the hospitals option of securing their welfare?
Perhaps a private hospital can't be forced to provide treatment, but it should certainly be required to insure that it doesn't release patients into an environment that is likely to make the condition(s) worse.
If it's true that the hospital made a commitment to change their practice and still has not, then I would expect (and hope) that the hospital will be sued senseless to established a precedent in this case that equals the apathy it has shown towards it's customers (patients). We'll be watching this case to see what the legal outcome is.
Danny Vice
The Weekly Vice
http://weeklyviceblogspot.com
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8 comments:
That's so sad. I think I remember seeing this on the news, but it wasn't on for long... I wonder where that poor man is now?
what's interesting is that the witnesses who saw the ambulance throw the man onto the street are the ones that captured the tag number. If someone didn't have a pen or something to write with, who knows if the hospital would have ever been caught
very nice
Celebrity Dirts
Danny V. First I want to say this story pisses me off, these people have the moral compass of a pedophile in heat!! Secondly, I thought you should know that in California it is ILLEGAL to refuse treatment to anyone based upon financial or insurance status, or to dump them on the street like an over flowing garbage bag. That being said, I'm pretty sure that not only are they being sued by this patient (and rightfully so), (UTI's in paraplegic's are very dangerous BTW). But I'm sure that they are also under investigation by the State of California. They will be fined for their actions by the state, and could even be shut down. However, I think the prospect of a multi-million dollar lawsuit is going to straighten their asses up right away (not to mention the Bad PR.. the monetary donors are going to be running not walking away from this place)!! This really isn't that unfamiliar to us here in Cali, I live 190 mile north of LA, the LA county Sheriff department was caught dumping homeless people here in Bakersfield up until last year when they practice was FINALLY put to a stop. However, here in the city I live in our hospitals treat everyone!! And the patient is NOT discharged until a suitable placement in a care home has been made!! These people are a disgrace to all of the hard working RN's, Tech's, CNA's, Aids, and other care providers and house keepers (you know everyone who isn't the doctor) whom work in the hospitals caring for people, some of whom get paid shit, but do the job anyway because they enjoy helping others!! I could go on and on about this because it makes me so very angry, so I'll stop my rant now!! Thank you Danny for bringing this insane, and inhumane practice to the public.
Camom1978
Yep, when you go into the archives, you'll find many many many outrageous stories like this.
This story used to appear at the top anytime someone would Google this hospital's name. It was great advertising, no?
Sad story but listening from my brother I can see why the hospitals would do this. The money required to treat him would be expensive and the state who made the laws regarding treatment would be hard press to pay any of the bill. Ward care would be the cheep way to pay for it, (like they did prior to mid 60's) but I believe the ACLU sued and won saying that poor people have the right to privet rooms like the paying customers/patients. add laws suit costs, government interventions ect The man behind that tree who pays for it all is getting harder to find.....
no, they could've approached it in a minimalist manner. Prescribing antibiotics for a bladder infection would not be expensive. Damn, they could even just GIVE him antibiotics and it wouldn't cost much.
Just found this on wiki after I saw the post on your site...
In February, 2007, an investigation was launched after a hospital official allegedly "dumped" 54-year-old Gabino Olvera, a paraplegic patient, on a skid row street. According to witnesses, Olvera was removed from a hospital van and was left writhing in a gutter, wearing nothing more than a soiled gown and a broken colostomy bag.[4] The hospital agreed to pay $1 million and be monitored for up to 5 years as part of a settlement agreement reached in 2008.[5]
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