Los Angeles Center for Ear, Nose, Throat and Allergy

Formal Complaint and Notice of Potential Civil Rights and Patient Rights Violations – LACENTA East Los Angeles Location Dear Patient Relations / Administration, I am writing to file a formal complaint and provide notice of potential violations of patient rights, including discrimination and denial of reasonable accommodation, regarding my recent visit to your East Los Angeles location (1700 E. Caesar Chavez Avenue, Suite 2500) May 4, 2026. I have been a patient with your ENT practice for over five years at your downtown Los Angeles location without incident. However, my recent experience at the East Los Angeles office was unacceptable, degrading, and raises serious legal and ethical concerns. I arrived 30 minutes early as instructed for a scheduled breathing (lung) test, yet I was required to wait an additional 40 minutes beyond my appointment time. I also incurred a $10 parking fee due to lack of validation. When I was finally seen, the provider acknowledged the delay but rushed the procedure, which lasted approximately 10 minutes, and required me to provide my own medication from home. Following discharge, I requested access to the restroom. The front desk employee, identified as Victoria, demanded that I surrender my driver’s license in order to obtain a restroom key. This demand was made in a dismissive and hostile manner. I declined to provide my identification for this purpose and explained that I have high blood pressure and take a prescribed diuretic, which creates an urgent and medically necessary need for restroom access. For context, I am a retired case manager and a senior citizen, and I am well aware of patient privacy rights under HIPAA and general standards of care. Being asked to relinquish my personal identification under these circumstances felt inappropriate, unnecessary, and invasive. Despite being on-site for nearly two hours as a patient, I was denied restroom access. I was told this was “policy,” yet no such policy was posted, disclosed, or consistently enforced at your other locations. Rather than accommodate a medically necessary and time-sensitive need, staff escalated the situation and delayed access while attempting to involve management. When the manager arrived, I was still refused access to the restroom. As a direct result, I was forced into an involuntary and humiliating situation and urinated on myself within your facility. I was the only Black patient present at the time, and the manner in which I was treated raises serious concerns regarding disparate treatment and potential discrimination in a healthcare setting. This conduct may constitute: •    A violation of patient rights to dignity and humane treatment •    Failure to provide reasonable accommodation for a medical condition •    Potential discrimination in a place of public accommodation •    Negligent infliction of emotional distress Healthcare providers have both legal and ethical obligations to treat patients with dignity, provide reasonable accommodations, and avoid actions that result in harm or humiliation. The conduct of your staff fell far below these standards. Accordingly, I am requesting: 1    A formal investigation into this incident 2    A written copy of your restroom access policies 3    Identification of corrective actions, including staff retraining and/or disciplinary measures 4    Written assurance that no patient will be subjected to this type of treatment in the future Please be advised that I am evaluating my options for filing formal complaints with appropriate regulatory and civil rights agencies, including the California Department of Public Health and federal civil rights authorities. I expect a prompt written response outlining how this matter will be addressed. Sincerely, Kenneth Davis