Los Angeles hospital settles over leaving patient on street
LOS ANGELES (AP) — 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 — turning homeless patients out on the streets after they have been discharged, sometimes while still needing medical attention.
Hospitals aren't required to have specific discharge protocols for homeless patients, though a city law makes patient dumping illegal.
"Good Samaritan Hospital remains committed to providing accessible, quality, cost-effective and compassionate health care services," the facility said in a statement.
The issue garnered national attention in 2006 after a surveillance camera at a Skid Row rescue mission recorded a 63-year-old woman with dementia wandering around the crime-plagued area in a hospital gown and slippers.
Feuer has been pushing hospitals to adopt lengthy protocols for discharging the homeless that include assessing their mental status, identifying any disabilities, making sure they are connected with community resources, and a plan for how they will access food, clothing, shelter and follow-up appointments.