Operational Excellence

May 22, 2007

Kaiser Permanente Model for Handling of Homeless Individuals in Los Angeles Lauded, Adopted by Another Hospital

A Los Angeles-area hospital announced that it would largely adopt the discharge protocol for homeless individuals that Kaiser Permanente announced in its settlement with the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office.

Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, accused of dumping a homeless paraplegic man on Skid Row last year, has said that it would adopt KP's discharge rules for the homeless. The hospital is one of 10 hospitals that LA District Attorney Rocky Delgadillo is investigating in relation to how the hospitals discharged patients in downtown Los Angeles. An article in the Los Angeles Times details Hollywood Presbyterian's decision.

KP's settlement and new discharge protocols were hailed as a national model by the American Civil Liberties Union. "It represents the most comprehensive, broad-based and sensitive protocol for hospital discharge planning for homeless patients resulting from any case in the nation's history," said Mark Rosenbaum, legal director for the ACLU in Southern California.

KP settled two cases with Delgadillo's office on May 15 in a landmark agreement. KP committed to creating and enforcing new discharge rules for homeless individuals, providing more training for employees, and allowing a former U.S. attorney to monitor KP's progress. Kaiser Permanente also contributed $500,000 to a charitable foundation benefiting the homeless in Los Angeles, and defrayed the district attorney's investigative costs.

The charitable contribution is in addition to more than $1.5 million KP has provided in the last three years to numerous social services organizations that serve the homeless and indigent in Los Angeles County.

Check back with the KP News Center for updates on this issue. You also can read earlier coverage of the issue here.