Kaiser Exec Concedes Richmond Facility Didn’t Meet Standards

Facing a state investigation into four patient deaths at a Kaiser hospital in Richmond, Calif., Kaiser Permanente Chairman David Lawrence acknowledged Thursday that the facility did not meet federal standards and announced several steps to “ensure the health and safety of our patients.”

The company said its own internal investigation had found deficiencies in the 50-bed hospital’s emergency room services, including inadequate medical documentation and staffing issues.

The California Department of Health Services recently completed a preliminary investigation of Kaiser’s Richmond and Oakland hospitals at the request of federal health officials. The findings of the investigation have not been disclosed, and a state health official said he did not know if Kaiser would face sanctions. Sanctions could include a fine or, possibly, the loss of federal Medicare contracts.

Gil Martinez, district manager for the state agency’s licensing unit, said the small Richmond hospital has only a “standby” emergency room, staffed by on-call personnel, and does not have intensive care or critical care units. The sickest patients who arrive at the hospital’s emergency room sometimes must be transferred to other local hospitals, he said.

Kaiser, the nation’s biggest HMO, has faced increasing criticism that its efforts to reduce costs are eroding the quality of patient care--a charge Kaiser strongly disputes. This week, the Texas attorney general warned that the state might revoke Kaiser’s HMO license in that state because of patient care and financial concerns.

The state investigation followed the death of a 39-year-old Berkeley woman--a well-known children’s advocate and the daughter of a local city councilwoman--who went to Kaiser’s Richmond hospital suffering from chest pains on Feb. 15.

Separately Thursday, the California Nurses Assn.--whose complaints about patient deaths helped prompt the state investigation--announced that it has called a one-day strike of 15 Kaiser hospitals and 30 clinics in Northern California for April 16. The nurses union and Kaiser have been unable to reach agreement on a new contract.