Mercy Hospital SW Fined More Than $80K

Mercy Hospital Southwest has been fined more than 80-thousand dollars by the state Department of Health. The reason, regulators say the hospital gave a pregnant woman the wrong medication while she was getting a C-section. That in turn left her with a disability classified as serious. In a press release, the agency cited the Southwest location “failed to ensure the health and safety of a patient when it did not follow established policies and procedures regarding the treatment and care of a patient.” The department says it’s the hospital’s second Immediate Jeopardy administrative penalty.

Dignity Health Issued the Following Statement:

Bakersfield, CA –June 21, 2019Patient care and safety are always our highest priorities, and we take this matter very seriously. We have conducted a thorough investigation and are working closely with the medical staff, patient care staff, and hospital leadership, as well as with the California Department of Public Health to ensure that an incident like this does not happen again. Consistent with patient privacy laws and hospital policy, we respect our patients’ privacy by not discussing the specifics of their care.