Loma Linda University Health settles waste-disposal case for $7.5 million
Loma Linda University Health has agreed to pay $7.5 million to settle a civil case brought by the Riverside and San Bernardino county district attorneys over the mishandling of hazardous and medical waste and confidential patient information.
The settlement, resolved without trial, breaks down into $6.75 million in civil penalties, $500,000 to reimburse investigative and enforcement costs, and $250,000 for environmental projects in California. Riverside County receives $2.8 million of the total. A further $1 million penalty is suspended for five years and can be imposed if the health system fails to spend at least $3 million on required compliance measures.
The case dates to a civil action filed in April 2022, following a multi-year investigation into how waste was handled across the Loma Linda network's hospitals and clinics. Investigators reported finding regulated material — hazardous pharmaceutical waste, batteries, aerosol cans, and medical waste — along with documents containing protected patient information, in ordinary trash bound for municipal landfills.
Under the agreement, Loma Linda operates under a permanent injunction against future violations and must maintain an enhanced compliance program. Both district attorney's offices said the health system cooperated during the investigation and had already made significant corrective changes, including a system-wide overhaul of its waste-management program, revised employee training, and improved handling procedures.
For the region's largest healthcare system and one of its major employers, the settlement is both a direct cost and a standing compliance obligation — the $3 million spending requirement and five-year suspended penalty keep the m