LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Five hospitals in Los Angeles and Orange counties, including USC University Hospital, have been fined $225,000 for endangering patients and failing to follow proper procedures, state health officials announced on Friday.

The USC hospital was fined $50,000 for not adequately providing for the health and safety of a patient and not following its procedures for the safe distribution and administration of medication, said Al Lundeen of the California Department of Public Health.

The largest of the fines, $75,000, was assessed against Western Medical Center in Santa Ana for improper maintenance of refrigeration equipment used to store medications. This is Western Medical’s third administrative penalty, Lundeen said.

The other Southland hospitals to be fined were:

— Placentia Linda Hospital in Placentia, $50,000, for not following surgical procedures;
— Citrus Valley Medical in Covina, $25,000, for not following surgical
procedures;
— Kindred Hospital in Westminster, $25,000, for not following patient care procedures.

Seven other California hospitals also received administrative penalties for various violations of the state’s Health and Safety Code, Lundeen said.

Those included a $25,000 fine for Rancho Medical Center in Riverside County and $100,000 against two hospitals in San Diego County.

Hospital officials can appeal their penalties within 10 calendar days, Lundeen said.

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