Crime & Safety
City to Pay $2.2M Settlement To Victims Of Alleged Abuse At Hospital
The patient abuse scandal at Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center occurred from 2016 to 2019.
SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco supervisors approved a $2.2 million settlement Tuesday for a patient abuse scandal at Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center from 2016 to 2019.
The lawsuit, filed against San Francisco, its health department, the hospital and a group of nurses in 2021, will grant 11 patients under conservatorship the funds after they fell victim to verbal, mental, sexual and physical abuse over a several-year period.
A 2019 investigation from the California Department of Public Health — the origins of the lawsuit — noted that six former nurses allegedly abused 23 patients by drugging some, taking nude photos of others and texting the images to other staff members and even gagging one victim with a towel.
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The health department determined that the facility failed to protect residents from abuse and privacy breeches, and the actions had potential to cause embarrassment and emotional distress to patients.
The lawsuit alleged that the investigation shed light on a "culture of abuse" at the hospital.
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"The extent of the misconduct shocks the conscience," reads the lawsuit.
In response, the city's health department issued a reform plan, and promised to improve safety conditions, medication management, quality management, human resources and leadership.
"The incidents of misconduct reported in June do not represent the values of LHH, the San Francisco Health Network, or the Department of Public Health, and will not be tolerated," reads the reform plan published in 2019. "LHH has had a positive effect on generations of San Franciscans and continues to be a good place for patients."
The lawsuit came before Laguna Honda's federal and state certifications were revoked in April 2022 after failing regulator inspections.
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