HOSPITAL'S ACTIONS PROTESTED INJURED PATIENT WAS OUT ON SKID ROW.

Byline: Dan Laidman Staff Writer

After a confused and injured 64-year-old woman from the South Bay was left to wander the streets of Skid Row, city leaders renewed their demands Wednesday that hospitals and other cities stop ``dumping'' transients in downtown Los Angeles.

The videotaped incident - in which the woman could be seen meandering through one of the city's most dangerous areas in a hospital gown and slippers - prompted four council members to write chief executives of local hospitals calling for a review of discharge policies.

``This is beyond enough is enough,'' said Councilwoman Jan Perry, who represents the neighborhood. ``This is ridiculous.''

Among those joining Perry at a news conference in front of the Union Rescue Mission, which ended up taking the woman in Tuesday, was Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton, who called the incident unconscionable.

Richard Llewellyn of the City Attorney's Office said prosecutors are investigating whether this incident and others violate laws prohibiting the discharge of sick patients or the movement of patients against their will.

The letter sent Wednesday to hospital executives added that city leaders are ready to advocate changing state law to make it more difficult for medical facilities to bring homeless patients to Skid Row.

State Sen. Gil Cedillo, whose 22nd District includes downtown, has introduced legislation that would prohibit leaving people in areas outside their home jurisdiction when they are homeless or need services for mental illness or drug treatment.

He has also written a bill calling for stricter penalties for those selling drugs near rehabilitation centers.

Diana Bonta, vice president at Kaiser Permanente - whose Bellflower facility discharged the 64-year-old woman - joined officials at the news conference and apologized for the incident.

``It is not in keeping with the policies of Kaiser Permanente,'' said Bonta, who said she had just recently learned of the incident. ``We will immediately take action to see this never happens again.''

Capt. Andrew Smith of the Los Angeles Police Department spoke with the apparently homeless woman after she was taken in by the mission. She was disoriented but said she was from Gardena and did not want to be on Skid Row.

Smith said ``dumping'' by other cities and hospitals diminished after he brought the issue to the attention of local officials and the media several months ago, but seems to have picked up again.

Downtown Los Angeles has a high concentration of social services but they are struggling to meet demand, officials said.

Smith added that the area is also very dangerous, with a large number of parolees, drug addicts, drug dealers and sex offenders.

``This kind of thing happens over and over again,'' he said. ``And it's just the kind of thing we can't let happen anymore.''

Dan Laidman, [phone]

dan.laidman(at)dailynews.com