Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles has agreed to pay $450,000 to resolve allegations that it left a homeless patient on the streets without a plan for recuperative care after he was treated for an injury at the facility, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The settlement stems from a lawsuit filed in December 2014 by Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer's office, which alleged the homeless man was released from the hospital with nothing but a bus token after he was treated for a foot injury.
"Patient dumping is inhumane and must be stopped," Mr. Feuer told the L.A. Times. "The public perception is that this only happens on skid row, but as this case illustrates it can happen in other neighborhoods too."
Good Samaritan is in the Westlake area of downtown Los Angeles.
In addition to the $450,000 settlement, Good Samaritan also agreed to establish new discharge protocols for homeless patients.
The hospital denied the allegations in the lawsuit. Good Samaritan told the L.A. Times it chose to settle to avoid the expense of protracted litigation.
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