Despite two instances where patients receiving care at California's Long Beach Memorial Medical Center were at risk of serious injury, the center will continue to receive Medicare funding, the Press-Telegram reported July 18.
In February, an elderly patient hospitalized at the medical center with chest pain was given the wrong medication: two doses of anastrozole, a chemotherapy drug for breast cancer, which the patient did not have, according to the report.
In March, another patient hospitalized at the medical center with "dementia and a history of falls" fell while walking unattended in his room, resulting in a fractured hip. The patient's bed alarm, meant to alert staff when a patient leaves their bed, was discovered to not have been turned on, according to the report.
California state inspectors delivered their findings in an April report. Days later, it was revealed by state inspectors the medical center would not lose its Medicare funding "after inspectors validated the hospital’s corrective action plan through staff interviews and record reviews."
Richele Steele, a spokesperson for Long Beach Memorial, said the medical center took immediate action in improving its care and patient safety.
"The hospital did receive the findings from CDPH, which the hospital took very seriously," Ms. Steele told the publication.