Hospital Cited for Not Reporting Baby’s Death

State health officials on Monday faulted St. John’s Regional Medical Center for not reporting the death of a prematurely born baby whose teen-age mother left her in a restroom trash can near the hospital’s emergency room last month.

Police said that during a leg examination at the Oxnard hospital June 24, the 15-year-old girl, whom they declined to identify, excused herself to go to the bathroom, where she gave birth to a live 3-pound, 9-ounce girl.

Believing the infant was dead, she became frightened and left the baby in a plastic bag at the bottom of a trash can, she told police.

A custodian found the body the next evening.

The California Department of Health Services began an inspection of St. John’s on June 27.

The inspector’s report, released Monday, said, “The facility failed to report to the Department an unusual occurrence which involved the discovery of a concealed newborn infant which had expired.”

“We have no statutory authority to fine hospitals,” said Scott Lewis, a spokesman for the state Department of Health Services.

“They’re obligated to file a plan for correction and they’ve done that.”

The plan, signed by St. John’s president Daniel Herlinger, says, “The Department of Health will be notified as soon as possible regarding any unusual occurrences.

The Administrator on Call is responsible to see a report is filed with the Department of Health.”

Hospital spokeswoman Rita Schumacher said that on the day the baby’s body was discovered, “We filed a report with the Police Department, which we thought was a sufficient reporting agency.

“We now know that it would have been advisable to also report the occurrence to the Department of Health.”

Deputy Dist. Atty. Saundra Brewer said Monday that the Ventura County district attorney’s office will decide by Friday whether to file charges against the mother.