The hospital is temporarily instituting tighter safety measures following threats from state and federal regulators to withdraw Medi-Cal and Medicare funding, putting the hospital in jeopardy of closing. How did we get here?
Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center is under threat of closure after failing to meet compliance standards following a state review. The hospital is temporarily instituting tighter safety measures following threats from state and federal regulators to withdraw Medi-Cal and Medicare funding, putting the hospital in jeopardy of closing.
The two nonfatal overdoses involved methamphetamine and fentanyl, according to Wilmie Hathaway, Chief Medical Officer for Laguna Honda. In January 2022, during one follow-up inspection, a staff member was found not following undisclosed protocols and the hospital remained in non-compliance. Hospital officials are now working with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to move forward and avoid terminating the patient funding channels.
Patients and live-in residents at Laguna Honda have a wide range of complex health challenges, including severe mental illness, dementia, substance use disorder and more. It is not a locked facility, meaning most patients can come and go.