City Alleges Vancouver Hospital Put Elderly Homeless Woman in a Cab and Sent Her to Portland Shelter

The city of Portland in September sent a cease-and-desist letter to a PeaceHealth clinic in Vancouver, alleging that the hospital discharged a 70-year old disabled homeless woman from its care, stuck her in a cab and sent her to a homeless shelter in Portland.

The city alleged the woman, who’s a wheelchair user, languished in 90-degree heat on Sept. 2 for nearly eight hours before the shelter opened.

“They arrived at an overnight shelter nearly eight hours before the shelter’s scheduled opening. In those hours before staff could assist her, she sat alone and vulnerable on a Portland street, in nearly 90-degree heat,” City Attorney Robert Taylor wrote in the Sept. 10 letter to PeaceHealth president and CEO Elizabeth Dunne. “We request PeaceHealth immediately cease all patient transfer to Portland shelters without prior communication, planning, and approval, and request PeaceHealth immediately train all employees, staff, and caregivers about appropriate discharge requirements.”…

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