Health report faults H.B. nursing home for death

A Huntington Beach nursing home has been fined by the state after a patient died due to staff failing to provide CPR, according to a report by the Department of Public Health.

The Huntington Valley Health Care Center was one of two nursing homes fined this week. A man died at the home March 3 after a massive cardiac arrest, according to the report.

The registered nurse on duty did not call 911, believing his file stated he did not want to be resuscitated, although the file stated he “did want life sustaining measures in an emergency situation,” the report states.

The nursing home was slapped with an “AA” citation, the state’s most severe penalty. It must pay $80,000 and submit a report outlining how it will prevent similar problems in the future, said Ralph Montano, a spokesman for the department.

Curt Rodriguez, a Huntington Valley Healthcare Center administrator, said the hospital was in discussion with the state about appealing the fine, but couldn’t discuss the case, citing privacy issues.

— Britney Barnes