One more hospital pays a fine for this practice, but one of the most disturbing items in this article is the fact that the City Attorney’s office continues receiving reports that the practice of dumping patients is still being reported, so it leads one to think the problem has not been solved and there may still be some isolated cases still occurring. If so, with all the cameras we have now to record potential cases, it would appear it may not be as simple as before. BD
Doctors at College Hospital diagnosed Steven Davis as suffering from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder. Doctors at the Costa Mesa mental institution prescribed him numerous drugs to deal with paranoid delusions that had led to an earlier suicide attempt.
But that didn't stop the hospital from hauling Davis into a van and driving him more than 40 miles north to downtown L.A., where they dropped him off outside the Union Rescue Mission. When mission officials complained to the hospital, the van returned and drove Davis a few miles south to another shelter. Davis wandered away without ever entering.Delgadillo said his office is continuing to investigate other medical facilities accused of discharging and transporting homeless patients to skid row or other neighborhoods without the patients' consent. Despite the lawsuits and settlements, Delgadillo says his office continues to get reports regularly of dumping of patients.
College Hospital to pay $1.6 million in homeless dumping settlement - Los Angeles Times
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While this is extremely disturbing, I'm curious as to what officials are proposing as the alternative if the patient is truly homeless. It could be argued that the hospital's provision of transportation for the patient to the homeless shelter is an act of kindness rather than leaving the homeless patient with no money and no way to get provision. I'm not saying it's the best answer, just wondering what else they've come up with as an alternative.
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