News reports of 2005 death at SDC

As many of our members might be aware, Bay Area news programs recently aired reports on the death of a client at SDC, which occured in 2005. For anyone who did not have a chance to view the reports, or who are looking for links to those stories, we include a few below.

If you have any comments, please leave them at the bottom of the post. You can also email PHA with your questions or comments at info@parenthospitalassociation.org.

(Click on each title below to go to the news report.)

Questions surround state agency in wake of autistic man's death
abc7.com

Dr. Van Pena was a doctor at Sonoma Developmental Center for 10 years. "Every shift I had, there were injuries," said Dr. Pena. Pena said he would document patient injuries by placing photographs in the medical records. But someone else, he says, ...

Unexplained deaths behind closed doors | California Watch
By Ryan Gabrielson

Producer: Dr. Van Peña was a physician at Sonoma Developmental Center for 10 years, where he says he was disturbed by what he saw. Dr. Van Peña: Every shift I had, there were injuries. Producer: He said the staff often could not explain ...
California Watch - All Content

Police Force's Sloppy Investigations Leave Abuse of Disabled ...
By Ryan Gabrielson

Timothy Lazzini, a quadriplegic cerebral palsy patient at the Sonoma Developmental Center, died in 2005 after he swallowed 4-inch swabs that shredded his esophagus. After his death, Lazzini's doctor and a pathologist concluded it was ...
KQED News Fix