Florida regulators intend to hit Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital with $804,000 in fines for infractions ranging from failure to secure oxygen tanks to their carts to infection control issues, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
The fines levied against the St. Petersburg, Fla.-based hospital are the latest action regulators have taken against the hospital for problems in its heart unit.
Johns Hopkins All Children's heart unit first faced scrutiny in November 2018 when the Tampa Bay Times published an investigative report highlighting high mortality and complication rates among heart patients. After the article's publication, the hospital reported 13 adverse events to the state. Six events involved patient deaths.
Four of the largest fines, which are for $197,000 each, will be for Johns Hopkins All Children's failure to track quality-of-care data, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
A Tampa Bay Times analysis of state records revealed six-figure fines are rare. The records, which are incomplete before 2010, showed the largest single fine Florida regulators have imposed on a hospital is $75,259.
Johns Hopkins All Children's was fined $4,500 earlier this year for failing to report numerous incidents of patient harm.
In financial documents released Aug. 29, Johns Hopkins Health System said it was aware of the potential fine and violations had been corrected, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Access the full Tampa Bay Times article here.
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