Grossmont Healthcare District

Latest News

• COPs requests meeting attendance logs of Board members. See in media, below.

Background

The violations at Sharp Grossmont “indicate a serious breakdown of the hospital's systems that are designed to ensure appropriate patient care,” said Kathleen Billingsley of the state Department of Public Health, which inspected Grossmont's quality of care.

• GHD Website: http://www.grossmonthealthcare.com/
• Prop. G Independent Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee: http://icboc.gafcon.net/default.aspx
• Barry Jantz, CEO
  Grossmont Healthcare District
  9001 Wakarusa St.
  La Mesa, CA 91942
  Phone (619) 825-5050

Concerns

Citizens' Oversight found the following concerns:

• GHD Website does not provide meeting announcements of special meetings.
• GHD Website does not provide current or archived agendas (short or long form) nor meeting reports.
• GHD CEO Barry Jantz says that an announcement email list is maintained, but no mention of that exists on the website, and it is not clear how one should subscribe.
• GHD Website does not provide current "News and Upcoming Events". Last update was September, 2007, nearly a year ago, and shows events from 2006 as if they are current.
• GHD Website shows Barry Jantz as if he is a member of the board instead of listing him as staff (on a separate web page or under a separate heading).
• Members of the GHD board are apparently invited to sit on the Sharp-Grossmont Hospital board but frequently do not attend or send an alternate.
• Barry Jantz, CEO of the GHD is invited to sit on the board as well, and he sometimes does not attend.
• he exact frequency of attendance is not clear at this time.
• According to the Prop. G Independent Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee website, two seats are vacant.
• ICBOC agendas provide headings only (short form).
• Agreement relating to Quality Assurance and Patient Care Reports - Specifies that immediate reports will be made, given specific criteria, to the GHD CEO (Barry Jantz? ), and "...if requested, GHC's shall provide a report concerning the event to the GHD Board." By the position of these sentences, it is implied that the GHD CEO would make the sole determination as to the appropriateness of informing the GHD Board. There is no mention about any changes requiring the CEO to inform the GHD Board.
• The level of confidentiality seems excessive.
  • It should also be stated that GHD Board members may provide reports to the State Department of Public Health or other appropriate authorities if that board member, in his or her best judgment, believes that such a report must be made, regardless of any nondisclosure agreement with GHC.
  • Minutes of the closed-session meetings should reflect the fact that some QA reports were received without detailing the specifics of any particular case that may be confidential to the patient.

Timeline

• 21 Mar 2008 - Larry Napolis, a 45-year-old heart attack victim, was placed on a ventilator in the hospital's catheterization lab. The ventilator was not turned on, and he died.
• 11 Apr 2008 - Jeffrey Christopher, 25, of Bonsall became unsettled the unit's workers took Christopher to his room and had him lie down on his stomach. They secured him to his bed with restraints at the wrists, ankles and waist, keeping his head and neck above the mattress. They also gave him several medications for his schizophrenia, including ativan and thorazine. Christopher died that night.
• 29 Jul 2008 - state Department of Public Health released a 100-page report on the matter.
• 04 Aug 2008 - special meeting of the Grossmont Healthcare District Board. The Grossmont Healthcare District's board of directors said they were unaware of the hospital's problems.
• 15 Aug 2008 - Regularly scheduled meeting of the GHD board where they introduce the new policy for communication. This meeting was filmed by Citizens Oversight.
• 18 Aug 2008 - COPs submits CPRA request to GHD.

Recent Articles and Media (Add | All)

The most recently published 20 articles on this topic, most recent first.

• Family sues Sharp Grossmont Hospital -- Cheryl Clark, Union Tribune, 2008-08-28
• Longtime insider believes in Sharp Grossmont Hospital -- Bob Yarris, Union Tribune, 2008-08-24
• News Release: Citizens Group Requests Grossmont Healthcare Board Meeting Attendance Logs -- Raymond Lutz, Citizens Oversight, 2008-08-18
• CPRA Request to Grossmont Healthcare District on Board Members' Attendence -- Raymond Lutz, Citizens Oversight, 2008-08-18 Ref: C00013
• New policy approved for Sharp Grossmont -- Anne Krueger, Union Tribune, 2008-08-16
• GHD Agreement Relating to Quality Assurance and Patient Care Reports -- ", Grossmont Healthcare District, 2008-08-15
• Grossmont Healthcare District 2008-08-15 Full Meeting -- Raymond Lutz, Citizens Oversight, 2008-08-15
• Grossmont Healthcare District Board 2008-08-15 Communication Policy Changes Only -- Raymond Lutz, Citizens Oversight, 2008-08-15 Includes public comment and meeting content related to the communication changes proposal
• Should We Abolish Oversight Boards? -- Raymond Lutz, East County Californian, 2008-08-14
• Increased scrutiny has hospitals focusing more on safety -- Keith Darce, Union Tribune, 2008-08-09
• Sharp admits communication errors -- Angelica Martinez and Cheryl Clark, Union Tribune, 2008-08-05
• Sharp Grossmont says it's moving to correct communication problems -- Angelica Martinez, Union Tribune, 2008-08-04 Grossmont Hospital?
• State cites preventable deaths in report on Sharp Grossmont -- Cheryl Clark, Union Tribune, 2008-07-30

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