Following $2.2M Federal Penalty, Future Murky For Real-Life Shows Filmed In Hospitals
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital has agreed to pay $2.2 million penalty for allowing television crews to film patients without their consent. While some say it will have a chilling effect for shows aimed at giving insight into the complexities of medical care, others cheer the decision as a safeguard to patients' privacy.
The New York Times/ProPublica:
New York Hospital To Pay $2.2 Million Over Unauthorized Filming Of 2 Patients
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital has agreed to pay a $2.2 million penalty to federal regulators for allowing television crews to film two patients without their consent — one who was dying, the other in significant distress. Regulators said on Thursday that the hospital allowed filming to continue even after a medical professional asked that it stop. At the same time, regulators clarified the rules regarding the filming of patients, prohibiting health providers from inviting crews into treatment areas without permission from all patients who are present. That could end popular television shows that capture emergencies and traumas in progress, getting permission from patients only afterward. (Ornstein, 4/21)
In other hospital news —
The Associated Press:
Los Angeles Hospital Settles Over Leaving Patient On Street
A fourth Los Angeles-area hospital in less than three years has settled a lawsuit over a chronic problem in the nation's second-largest city — turning homeless patients out on the streets after they have been discharged, sometimes while still needing medical attention. Without acknowledging fault, Good Samaritan Hospital near downtown Los Angeles settled for $450,000 and agreed to follow protocols to properly release homeless patients, City Attorney Mike Feuer said Thursday. That brings the amount of such settlements with area hospitals to $1.9 million since January 2014. (4/21)
The News and Sentinel:
Authority Blocks Marietta Memorial Bid To Establish Care Facility In Parkersburg
Marietta Memorial Hospital will not be able to establish an ambulatory care facility in Parkersburg, following a ruling from the West Virginia Healthcare Authority. (Dunla, 4/21)
