L.A. Hospital a Breeding Ground for Unsanitary Surgery

Infection Prevention

By: OSD Staff

Published: 11/1/2011

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Federal inspectors cite Harbor-UCLA Medical Center for safety violations.


The operating rooms at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center are breeding grounds for infection, according to federal inspectors cited in a published report.

Inspectors found ORs at the 570-bed acute-care facility, owned and operated by the County of Los Angeles, that:

  • had holes in the ceilings;
  • were dusty and cluttered;
  • were kept at the wrong humidity level.

    The reports also said that hospital staff members weren't washing their hands according to policy, according to an article in The Los Angeles Times.

    "The hospital failed to maintain a sanitary environment for the provision of surgical services," the reports said. "This could lead to contaminated surfaces in the operating room and the spread of infection."

    The hospital's new chief executive says the hospital is addressing the problems. Los Angeles County is spending nearly $323 million to construct a 190,000-square-foot building at the hospital that will replace both the surgical facilities and the emergency room. Completion is expected in 2013.

    Dan O'Connor

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