Center Cited, Fined in Resident’s Death

A state-run facility for the developmentally disabled in Pomona has received health inspectors’ most severe citation in the death of a resident, the California Department of Health Services announced Friday.

The citation alleges that staff at Lanterman Developmental Center failed on July 23, 2004, to treat the male resident promptly for symptoms of a bowel obstruction, a condition from which he was known to have suffered in the past. The patient later died in a hospital emergency room. The citation carries a $25,000 fine.

The “AA” citation is the second in two years for the facility.

The first, issued in June 2003, came after a 31-year-old man died of internal bleeding caused by blows to the abdomen. Subsequent investigations were unable to determine who killed him.

Separately, in August 2003, a federal inspection found that 55 patient injuries at Lanterman had not been properly investigated by top officials there.

“Any citation is a great concern for us,” Lanterman spokeswoman Irene Kim said of the latest health department action. “Measures have been taken to really do our utmost for not getting any citations and to provide the best possible service.”

But Kim said Lanterman would appeal the citation and fine, issued May 24, because the facility did not believe that it responded inappropriately.

In a plan of correction that the center was required to file with the health department, Lanterman promised to retrain some of its staff in emergency procedures.

According to the inspection report, staff members were slow to respond to the resident’s repeated vomiting despite his history of bowel obstructions. The report said the man went without medical treatment for several hours, “suffered unnecessary pain and discomfort” and later had a seizure.

The Los Angeles County coroner’s office identified the man as Julio Rodriguez, 34, by the date and cause of death.

The health department said that he had lived at Lanterman since 1976.

Lanterman houses 580 residents, most of whom have low verbal skills and IQs, Kim said. It is among five centers run by the state Department of Developmental Services.