From the Los Angeles Times:
By Charles Ornstein and Tracy Weber, Times Staff Writers
August 10, 2006
Kaiser Permanente has agreed to pay a $2-million fine after state HMO regulators found that its Northern California kidney transplant program imperiled hundreds of patients, in some cases delaying critical surgeries or losing track of patients altogether, four people familiar with [...]

From San Francisco Business Times:
by Chris Rauber
A whistleblower who helped instigate regulatory and media investigations of Kaiser Permanente’s troubled Northern California kidney-transplant unit has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit, alleging that senior Kaiser medical-group officials ignored several warnings about mounting problems in the program.
In early May, under pressure from federal and state authorities, Oakland-based Kaiser [...]

From San Francisco Business Times
by Chris Rauber
The former administrator of Kaiser Permanente’s troubled Northern California kidney transplant unit has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the health-care giant, seeking at least $5 million in damages.
The suit, filed Friday in San Francisco Superior Court by the former administrative head of the unit, David Merlin, alleges he [...]

From an outraged family member of a Kaiser Permanente kidney patient. Kaiser continues to deny that any patients were harmed by its bungling:
My sister, Kim, is currently under the Kaiser Program. Her kidneys failed 6 yrs ago, (March 2000) she went into a coma and was not expected to ever come out. She is [...]

From the Los Angeles Times:
U.S. Berates Kaiser Over Kidney Effort
A withering report says the transplant program was poorly planned, staffed and run. The HMO does not admit or rebut the accusations.
By Charles Ornstein and Tracy Weber, Times Staff Writers
June 24, 2006
Virtually every part of Kaiser Permanente’s massive kidney transplant program in San Francisco failed patients, [...]

Kaiser S.F. CEO Mike Alexander to retire
San Francisco Business Times
by Chris Rauber
In the latest apparent fallout from serious problems at Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California kidney transplant unit, Mike Alexander, the CEO of Kaiser’s San Francisco Medical Center, will retire.
Alexander’s decision was detailed in a Kaiser emailed memo issued internally on Wednesday afternoon.
The move came just [...]

Regulators say only a handful of people needing transplants have been moved to two UC programs since the HMO announced the closure of its program last month.
By Tracy Weber and Charles Ornstein, Times Staff Writers
June 16, 2006
More than a month after Kaiser Permanente announced it was closing its troubled kidney transplant program serving Northern California, [...]

Four Year Delay and No Kidney Transplant - Kaiser Patient Seeks Punitive Damages Based on Misguided Kaiser Kidney Program
SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 19 /PRNewswire/ — “I need a kidney, I need help and I can’t wait any longer,” said a frustrated Kaiser kidney patient Bernard Burks, who was put on a list of patients awaiting a [...]

From San Francisco Business Times:
Kaiser Permanente appointed a new administrative director Thursday to head its troubled Northern California kidney transplant unit.
The San Francisco-based unit, in the process of being closed after intense pressure from state and federal regulators, had been headed by Dr. Sharon Inokuchi.
Kaiser officials said June 15 that Linda Mann, a registered nurse [...]

Coverage at S.F. center is at risk unless compliance with federal rules is proved.
By Dorsey Griffith — Sacramento Bee Medical Writer
The Medicare program has threatened to halt coverage for all end-stage kidney care at Kaiser Permanente’s San Francisco transplant center unless the health plan can convince regulators it has complied with federal regulations.
The Department of [...]