The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has issued four penalties to three California hospitals along with fines totaling $275,000 after investigations found the facilities’ noncompliance with licensing requirements caused, or was likely to cause, serious injury or death to patients.

The following hospitals received penalties, please click on the link below for specific incident information:

– Alta Bates Summit Medical Center-Alta Bates Campus, Berkeley, Alameda County: The hospital failed to ensure the health and safety of a patient when it did not follow established policies and procedures for safe distribution and administration of medication. The penalty is $75,000. This is the hospital’s second administrative penalty.

– Alta Bates Summit Medical Center-Alta Bates Campus, Berkeley, Alameda County: The hospital failed to ensure the health and safety of a patient when it did not follow established policies and procedures related to patient evaluation and safety. The penalty is $100,000. This is the hospital’s third administrative penalty.

– Desert Regional Medical Center, Palm Springs, Riverside County: The hospital failed to ensure the health and safety of a patient when it did not follow established policies and procedures regarding fall prevention. The penalty is $50,000. This is the hospital’s first administrative penalty.

– Sutter General Hospital, Sacramento, Sacramento County: The hospital failed to ensure the health and safety of a patient when it did not follow established policies and procedures regarding fall prevention. The penalty is $50,000. This is the hospital’s first administrative penalty.

Administrative penalties are issued under authority granted by Health and Safety Code section 1280.1. Incidents that occurred prior to 2009 carry a fine of $25,000.

On Jan. 1, 2009, the fines increased for incidents that occurred in 2009 or later. Under this provision, an administrative penalty carries a fine of $50,000 for the first violation, $75,000 for the second, and $100,000 for the third or subsequent violation by the licensee.

When hospitals receive their survey findings, they are required to provide CDPH with a plan of correction to prevent future incidents.

Hospitals can appeal an administrative penalty by requesting a hearing within ten calendar days of notification. If a hearing is requested and the penalty upheld following an appeal, the penalties must be paid.

All hospitals in California are required to be in compliance with applicable state and federal laws and regulations governing general acute care hospitals, acute psychiatric hospitals, and special hospitals.

The hospitals are required to comply with these standards to ensure quality of care.