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LOS ANGELES, CA---After a video camera captured a 63-year-old patient from Kaiser Permanente's Bellflower hospital being dumped in a downtown area known as skid row, dressed only in a hospital gown and slippers, city prosecutors are levying criminal charges of false imprisonment and dependent-care abuse against the facility.
Kaiser Permanente and nine other hospitals are being charged for allegedly discharging homeless patients on the street instead of releasing them to a relative or shelter.
A camera mounted outside the Union Rescue Mission showed Carol Ann Reyes, 63, of Gardena, Ca., a homeless person, walking from the direction of a taxi which had just driven away. She wandered the street for several minutes before staff members from the mission took her into their building.
The incident involving Ms. Reyes is detailed in a 20-page document which supports the criminal charges.
Hospital officials had apologized for the March incident at a news conference. Diana Bonta, vice president of public affairs for Kaiser Southern California said that the hospital had unsuccessfully tried to find a shelter for Reyes. They claimed that she was being taken to the mission but couldn't explain why she was left wandering the street wearing a hospital gown and slippers. She said the incident violated hospital policy and wouldn't happen again.
Reyes, who had been hospitalized for three days following a fall, said in an interview that she didn't remember leaving the hospital and didn't know how she got to skid row.
A mission spokesman said the Reyes incident was the third time in a week that their cameras had caught taxis dumping people off in the area. Andy Bales, mission president, and "we just can't drop people off like baggage. We can't have a society where these people have nowhere to turn when they need care".
A bill that would prohibit any law enforcement agency from taking people in need of drug treatment, mental health services or shelter outside their jurisdiction has been introduced by State Sen. Gil Cedillo of Los Angeles, a Democrat.
The city attorney's office is also suing Kaiser for unfair business practices, asking a judge to prohibit all Kaiser hospitals from dumping homeless patients on Skid Row and to impose financial sanctions if the hospital violates the order.
If the hospital is convicted on the criminal charges, it would be placed on probation. The facility's bonding and financial ratings could also be affected by any criminal ruling. 11-16-06
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© 2006 North
Country Gazette
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