Sutter Health has agreed to pay $71,275 in fines issued by Cal/OSHA after an investigation found safety violations for handling patients with suspected airborne diseases at Sutter’s Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland.
The investigation stemmed from a 2012 incident in which the hospital treated more than a dozen suspected tuberculosis patients, according to the California Nurses Association.
The nurses union filed a complaint alleging that the patients were held in isolation rooms that were not working appropriately, putting nurses and other staff at risk of becoming infected.
The Cal/OSHA investigation ended with several citations and Sutter Health appealed the findings.
In a settlement, terms of which were released last week, Sutter will pay about half of the fines first issued and agrees to make changes to its procedures for handling patients who are believed to have airborne illnesses.
Hospital management said that after the initial Cal/OSHA investigation they “immediately took steps to correct these violations.”
Management also said in the statement, “It’s important to note that review of the clinical data demonstrated that no patients or staff were put at risk.”

Erin Allday is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: eallday@sfchronicle.com

Source: http://www.sfgate.com/health/article/Sutter-health-to-pay-fines-for-safety-violations-6156346.php