L.A. City Attorney Accuses Glendale Hospital of Patient Dumping

A lawsuit recently filed by Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer accuses Glendale Adventist Medical Center of leaving indigent patients to fend for themselves on Downtown L.A.’s Skid Row.

"Homeless people suffering from mental illness who wander these dangerous streets are particularly vulnerable to victimization and exploitation by criminal predators," said the suit, which was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Wednesday.

Though the 6-page complaint did not detail any specific incidents, it claims the hospital transported homeless and elderly patients to the area on June 6, as well as four years prior to the filing of the complaint.

Glendale Adventist Medical Center has vehemently denied the city’s allegations. Union Rescue Mission head, Rev. Andy Bales, whose shelter monitors the area for patient dumping, said he was also surprised, as he has never known the hospital to engage in that sort of activity before.

Wednesday’s filing follows recent efforts by the City of Los Angeles to crack down on the practice of patient dumping.

Read more about the lawsuit here.