Maggots found again on a hospital patient, union says
The hospital denied earlier allegations by the union, which is in a labor dispute with medical center administrators./otherThumbs
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An allegation that maggots were found on a patient at Riverside’s Parkview Community Hospital Medical Center in August is the second such complaint in three months.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
The Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West made the latest complaint to the state Department of Public Health in a letter Monday. Hospital officials, including CEO Steve Popkin and spokesman David Silver, could not be reached for comment Monday.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
The complaint stated that hospital workers on Aug. 13 “reported maggots on a patient’s groin area” and said the patient had been at the Jackson Street hospital “for several weeks.”googleoff: allgoogleon: all
The union also filed a complaint in June that alleged several patient care issues, including maggots found in a patient’s mouth and in hospital food, inadequate equipment and patients being treated in a nonsterile hallway when the emergency room was too crowded.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
PREVIOUSLY: Complaint alleges maggots in Parkview hospital foodgoogleoff: allgoogleon: all
In June, Silver denied the allegations and said they were a pressure tactic by the union, which is involved in a labor dispute with the hospital.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
State public health officials investigated the June complaint and sent the hospital a report citing any violations that were found, but the report has not been made public, state health department spokesman Corey Egel said in an email.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
It was unclear whether any deficiencies were found, and if so, how many.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
Hospitals are required to tell the state how they’ll fix any problems within 10 days of receiving the state’s report. As of Sept. 29, the hospital had not provided the state with a plan to correct any problems, Egel wrote.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
The hospital and union continue to dispute the validity of a 2014 vote on whether the union should represent about 500 hospital workers, including nurses, radiology technicians and secretaries.