The national group that oversees organ transplants placed UCI Medical Center on probation Thursday after a scandal that closed its liver transplant program, but stopped short of a more severe penalty that could have closed other transplant services.
This marks just the second time the United Network for Organ Sharing, a federal contractor, has publicly disciplined a transplant center. The probationary status means the UC Irvine hospital, in Orange, will be allowed to continue performing kidney and pancreas transplants but will have to ensure that it has adequate staffing and meets patient care standards. The probation will last until UCI can show it has corrected its problems.
The group had considered declaring UCI a "member not in good standing," which could have led to the closure of all of the hospital's transplant programs. But Dr. Francis L. Delmonico, president of the organ network, said Thursday that although UCI showed "poor judgment," it did not deserve such a harsh rebuke.
Separately, UCI released documents showing that Dr. Marquis Hart, a UC San Diego surgeon retained to act as the director of transplant services at UCI, worked far fewer hours overseeing the programs than were called for in his contract.
The contract said Hart would be expected to work 40 to 60 hours per month in the administrative role, for which he was paid $200 per hour. The records show he averaged about 18 hours per month and never met the minimum requirement. He put in the most time in December 2004, when he worked 34 hours; last July, he worked none at all.
Time cards show that Hart was absent from UCI for long stretches. He worked no hours between April 12 and May 26 last year and was gone again from June 25 to Aug. 18. His time cards were marked "Not here."
The time cards bear a notation saying, "Accuracy of this document is unknown." UCI officials could not provide an explanation, and Hart declined to comment on his work hours.
"That's in the past," UCI spokeswoman Susan Menning said. "To continually go back and address these little issues doesn't make sense at this point."
UCI closed its liver transplant program in November after The Times reported that 32 patients had died awaiting operations in 2004 and 2005, when the hospital turned down scores of organs, sometimes because no surgeon was available. Though the hospital often cited poor organ quality or patient unsuitability in the rejections, most of the organs were successfully transplanted into patients at other facilities.
