Convalescent Hospital Fined $10,000 After Patient’s Injury

A Newhall convalescent hospital has been fined $10,000 for not properly caring for a 76-year-old woman patient who was pushed in her wheelchair by a fellow patient into a busy street, where the wheelchair capsized, Los Angeles County health officials said Tuesday.

Investigators also cited uncleanliness in the Santa Clarita Convalescent Hospital’s kitchen, but imposed no fine, County Health Supervisor Dolores Flood said, adding that the investigation will continue indefinitely. She declined to be specific about what else investigators want to know.

The incident involving the wheelchair occurred Oct. 18. Flood said a Newhall motorist notified her that she had swerved to avoid hitting the 76-year-old woman, who lay face down in the slow lane on San Fernando Road with the wheelchair atop her and both knees skinned and bruised.

A 70-year-old woman patient--who had pushed the wheelchair through an exit at the facility and into the street--lay in the driveway, with a hip injury and bruised knees, county officials said.

The hospital is entitled to appeal the fine, Flood said, adding that “right now, they’re cooperating with us and have agreed to write a plan of correction.”

However, the hospital is contesting a $20,000 fine imposed after a similar incident in July, 1991, Flood said. At that time, an 86-year-old woman patient suffered head injuries and died after her wheelchair rolled through the exit gate into the hospital’s driveway and fell over, officials said.

Hospital officials have since installed fencing, but they are not allowed to lock the exit gate because that could trap patients inside the facility in an emergency, Flood said.

Barbara Khatchadurian, the hospital’s administrator, could not be reached for comment.