Kaiser Permanente Homeless Dumping Case Settled

LOS ANGELES, May 15, 2007 - On Tuesday, City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo and Kaiser Permanente announced a settlement over the alleged dumping of a homeless patient on downtown's Skid Row.

Back in November, Kaiser was charged for alleging false imprisonment and dependent adult endangerment stemming from Kaiser's handling of an elderly homeless woman on March 20.

Delgadillo said the settlement will include a court order requiring hospitals in Los Angeles County to implement detailed protocols for the discharge of homeless patients.

Kaiser, meanwhile, will pay $5,000 in civil penalties, $50,000 in investigative costs to the City Attorney's Office and will also contribute

$500,000 to a charitable foundation.

Last March, surveillance cameras outside the Union Rescue Mission recorded a taxi driver dropping off 63-year-old Carol Ann Reyes, who wandered around in a hospital gown and slippers before a shelter volunteer came to her aid.

Four days later, Reyes was admitted to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center for further medical treatment, according to Delgadillo.

Administrators at Kaiser Permanente's Bellflower hospital later apologized for their role in the case, and executives with the hospital giant said they have since changed their practices in dealing with homeless people.

In a statement, Benjamin Chu of the Kaiser Foundation Southern California Region said the settlement was the result of extensive negotiations with city prosecutors.

"This agreement is an example of what can happen when people of goodwill sit down together," Chu said. "It's another step in our efforts to work with the city attorney and community leaders to bring positive change to the health and well being of the homeless in Los Angeles."

Officials with the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, which sued Kaiser on behalf of Reyes, also praised the settlement.