Calif. lawmakers want more transplant oversight

In the wake of three transplant center closures--St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles, UCI Medical Center in Orange, and Kaiser Permanente [1] in San Francisco--California legislatures are hoping to pass reforms that will provide better oversight for the state's transplant program. Lawmakers were disturbed by the fact that there was no indication of a problem at Kaiser until the Los Angeles Times ran an exposé in March. "It is disturbing to me that no one really is monitoring these programs to ensure that policies and procedures are being followed," said Assemblywoman Patty Berg (D). Currently, several state and federal regulatory agencies oversee the programs but communication between the agencies is limited. Legislatures believe a strong centralized agency would plug the holes in the current system. They also think other states have similar problems as well, but that the media has been more active investigating problems in California than in other states.

- read the Los Angeles Times article [2] for more

PLUS: Kaiser's $2 million fine seems pretty light in comparison for the damage patients suffered. Op-Ed [3]