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ADA settlement will cost millions

Executive Briefings Digest, January 24, 2006

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After a legal agreement in November to provide disabled people with equal access to care, Washington (DC) Hospital Center will change policies, rooms, equipment, and procedures.

The settlement of a 2003 lawsuit by four former patients is one of the most comprehensive ever negotiated for medical services under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The settlement could cost the 900-bed medical center nearly $2 million over several years due to modifications to inpatient departments, outpatient clinics, and physical barriers, The Washington Post reported.

The plaintiffs complained that the hospital was not equipped to cope with their physical limitations and that their care was more difficult because of it. For example, staff placed one patient undergoing radiation for thyroid cancer in an orthopedic wing because the oncology floor was not wheelchair accessible, according to The Post.

Changes at the hospital will include creating at least 35 ADA-accessible patient rooms, purchasing accessible equipment, training staff to be aware of the needs of disabled patients, and appointing an internal ADA officer to oversee the settlement, according to the DOJ.

Source: Briefings on Hospital Safety

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