Harbor-UCLA Medical Center changes after series of failed inspections, patient death

A psychiatric patient who refused food and water for as long as 16 days died at County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in July after the psychiatric unit staff failed to fully monitor his condition, order a medical review or begin forced feeding, according to federal records. His death was among a string of problems at Harbor-UCLA detailed in Medicare inspection reports since 2009. It was one of two serious lapses last summer that state inspectors documented during a Sept. 13 visit. Harbor-UCLA officials said last week that they have made an array of changes to improve patient care, and inspectors determined in January that problems found during earlier visits have been resolved.