SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Two hospitals in San Diego County were among 12 statewide fined by the California Department of Public Health for failing to follow proper policies and procedures, it was announced Friday.
Palomar Medical Center Escondido and Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla were each fined $50,000, according to the CDPH.
Palomar Medical Center Escondido was fined for an incident in 2009 when a patient in the intensive care unit fell out of her bed and was not discovered for more than an hour, according to the CDPH. It was the first administrative penalty issued by the CDPH to the hospital.
Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla was cited for leaving a surgical towel in a patient last year, according to the CDPH. It was the fourth time the hospital has been fined by the CDPH.
The hospitals have 10 days to appeal the fines, according to the CDPH. In addition to the penalties, the hospitals must submit a plan of correction to prevent similar incidents in the future.
