12 California hospitals fined for medical errors
State public health officials have fined 12 California hospitals for medical errors that hurt or killed patients, according to a report released Wednesday.
Three of the hospitals -- L.A. County-USC Medical Center, Brotman Medical Center and Torrance Memorial Medical Center -- are in Los Angeles County.
The penalties were issued for errors such as leaving foreign objects in patient’s bodies during surgery and administrating the wrong medication. The fines, which hospitals can appeal, range from $50,000 to $75,000.
“Most of these are preventable medical errors,” said Ralph Montano, spokesman for the California Department of Public Health. “Either someone was harmed or killed or likely to be harmed.”