Local hospitals to appeal violations
By: BRIAN ECKHOUSE - Staff Writer
Universal Health contends premise, findings disputable | ∞
Representatives of two local hospitals plan to appeal a state finding that they potentially endangered patients' lives after their on-call specialists declined to come in after hours.
Instead, the patients were transferred to other facilities, a process that delayed their treatments, though those generally had been available at the hospitals.
Universal Health Services, which owns and licenses Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar and Rancho Springs Medical Center in Murrieta, was fined last week by the state Department of Public Health for not always having specialists available for emergency room patients. The two hospitals were fined at least $25,000 each for the violations.
The hospital system, according to a state report, failed to provide adequate on-call physician coverage to meet the needs of nine of 56 patients at Inland Valley and of seven of 68 patients at Rancho Springs during an unspecified time frame.
Most of those patients were transferred to other hospitals that could address their needs in a swifter manner, state officials found.
Universal Health's administrators disagree with the findings -- and the premise -- of the report. In addition to challenging the findings, representatives said they also intended to appeal the financial penalties imposed by the public health department.
"The report and the premise for the citation are incorrect. There is no basis to cite this facility," said Jim Lahana, Universal Health's attorney, referring to both Inland Valley and Rancho Springs in an interview Monday. "The facility has done everything possible to ... provide coverage to any patient that comes through the door."
But the state health department's report found that specialists employed by the hospitals sometimes opted against coming in to work to address the needs of emergency room patients. A policy amendment in August 2006 made it no longer mandatory for on-call doctors to head back into the medical centers to treat patients after hours.
Also, the hospitals lack a formal call panel of neurologists and ophthalmologists, among other specialists, prompting the transfer of patients to other facilities, the report states.
Two complaints led officials to investigate, said Department of Public Health spokeswoman, Lea Brooks. Both are anonymous, she said, and were not available to the media Monday.
After reviewing medical records, state officials reported that they found several instances of patients whose treatments were delayed because Inland Valley and Rancho Springs transferred them to other facilities. According to the state report, they include:
Lahana, however, contends the hospitals have complied with a state code mandating the specific services that facilities must provide.
"We certainly believe we've complied with those requirements," he said.
-- Contact staff writer Brian Eckhouse at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2626, or beckhouse@californian.com.
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Yay! wrote on Oct 29, 2007 10:22 PM:Wow Temecula, lets get a REAL hospital built. That way we could hire professional doctors who actually care about their patients not just doctors who like to show their credentials on their walls. Doctors are people too, some are better than others. Then we could be the "higher level of care" needed in this valley.
Frustrated wrote on Oct 30, 2007 6:08 AM:I agree that we need better care in this growing area. Recently I brought my child in, anaphlactic shock, had was not responding to epipen, and all oxygen in her tank, was gone by the time we got to the front room. Child passing out... How were we greeted? "Fill out the form" being assertive parents we got help immediatly, but someone elses child would have died. Care was good, when we got through the red tape, and gated doors. Inland is not quiet up to Par as a trauma center yet.
jamie wrote on Oct 30, 2007 6:34 AM:wow I can sure think of some local SD hospitals that fit this discription! One specialist that is supposed to be on call for La Jolla and Oceanside hospitals at the same time. Well, he does not show up!!!
C wrote on Oct 30, 2007 8:17 AM:We have also had problems with these hospitals. After my daughter was born, it took 9 hours to get released from the hospital after both the pediatrician and my doctor released us because the nurse in charge of us decided to go home, and no one else would sign us out. On another occasion, my son had a severe asthma attack and we could not control with his nebulizer. We sat in the ER for 2 hrs before he was seen. Fortunately, I had his inhaler and was able to help him with his breathing.
Word of advice! wrote on Oct 30, 2007 8:31 AM:If you ever have anything really serious especially involving your child that you know will have you waiting endless amounts of hours in the waiting room. CALL the ambulance! Its the only way you know forsure they will take you right in. I know Ive walked in blacking out and barely breathing and had to wait nearly 7 hours before I was called back. With kids you dont know how much time you have. Just call the ambulance. I wish I had that time.
100 percent agree wrote on Oct 30, 2007 9:14 AM:I had trouble breathing and was taken to Inland Valley Hospital E.R.. They diagnosed me with epiglatitus (swelling in the throat) but didn't have an ENT doctor on-call. They had to transfer me to Fallbrook for treatment. I thought Inland Valley was a "Trama Center" yet I had to go all the way to Fallbrook (a non-trama center) to get treated. This was a life threatening condition that they could not treat because they didn't have an ENT doctor on-call. I'll be happy when Loma Linda builds their hospital in Murrieta.
Poor HC in TV wrote on Oct 30, 2007 11:09 AM:We have learned to go to Fallbrook first and use the local hospitals as a last resort. Sighted reasons: Customer service, long waits, and over priced. Out insurance company has said TV hospitals over price their services. Capitalism certainly works for the TV hospitals. Can’t wait for the competition to move into the valley!
PK wrote on Oct 30, 2007 12:47 PM:I completely agree that this valley with nearly 300,000 residents needs a decent hospital. I have heard that there are plans to build one off of 79-South (Temecula Pkwy), but they are running into a lot of resistance because residents don't want a tall building or ambulance traffic. Instead of picketting against the hospital, I suggest we stand on the land and picket for the hospital. It scares me to think that my family might get seriously hurt and have limited help available.
Reply to PK wrote on Oct 30, 2007 2:50 PM:Wow, that is crazy. I bet you those people who are picketing would not care about the ambulance traffic if they or their loved ones were to have a medical emergency. They must have not had an occasion to visit TV hospitals, because if they had, there is no way they would be picking against a real hospital.
to 100% wrote on Oct 30, 2007 2:56 PM:Inland Valley Hospital is not a "Trama Center"
Zygo wrote on Oct 30, 2007 7:03 PM:Inland Valley has an Emergency Room but that does not make it a Trauma Center. Personally, I have only had one experience with them and fortunately it was good. The reason fewer and fewer hospitals have Trauma Centers is due to the cost. A lot of people use emergency rooms as their primary care and bring their kids in for colds and other minor ailments. The hospitals, by law, are forbidden to turn them away even though their problems don't meet the criteria of an emergency. Unfortunately, the rest of us and/or our insurance companies pick up the tab. Probably not the time to soap box, but emergency rooms should be subsidized as a necessary basic service...which doesn't mean I agree with socialized medicine in general.
pnemonia wrote on Oct 30, 2007 7:42 PM:i went to rancho-have cronic broncoial asthma and they have that on file-they sit me in a chair said i was fine- i begged them to do an xray- they wouldnt-i finally was sent home feeling so bad i went next day to urgent care and found i had double pnemonia--a deadly combo----some credenditials!
In the know wrote on Oct 30, 2007 8:55 PM:Just so you complainers and those with little or no knowledge know, this on-call issue is nationwide, not just limited to the two local hospitals. I work at these hospitals and know for certain you cannot receive better care. You may wait, but that's health care and not specific to the our area. You are lucky to have the caliber of physicians and nurses that these two hospitals have to offer. Most of us have worked at the large teaching facilities in San Diego, but have chosen to come closer to home to work and be with our families. Don't for a minute think you will receive better care somewhere else.
sick of this wrote on Jan 7, 2008 12:43 PM:WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BEDSIDE MANNER? MABE THEY SHOULD CALL THE CITY OF HOPE...THEY AT LEAST PRETEND TO CARE!I WAS IN SHOCK OF THE FRIENDLY, WILLING TO HELP SURROUNDINGS! PERHAPS I WAS USE TO INLAND VALLEY? YOU WILL RECIEVE BETTER HEALTHCARE ELSEWHERE! WHILE WAITING FOR A SPEACIALIST AT INLAND,WHO NEVER SHOWED,I WAS HATEFUL TOLD TO LEAVE AS MY HUSBAND WAS DYING OF CANCER!WHAT ARE TAX PAYERS PAYING FOR?
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