California fines hospitals for medical errors

The California Department of Public Health levied $775,000 in fines on eight hospitals that made preventable errors that endangered patients, according to HealthLeaders Media. Two patients were badly burned by flash fires started when surgical cautery devices came too close to oxygen, a patient died after receiving clot-busting medications against guidelines, and another patient died after a preventable fall.

California has issued fines between $25,000 and $100,000 to more than 170 hospitals since 2007, totaling nearly $16 million in penalties. The money raised by the fines is required to go to quality improvement programs in the state.

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