Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas has released a corrective action plan in response to a CMS investigation that found the hospital had numerous patient safety deficiencies that endangered the hospital's Medicare/Medicaid status, according to a hospital announcement.
CMS' two-week survey of the hospital was prompted by a February incident involving a patient with schizophrenia and heart problems. The patient was physically and chemically restrained before he died. The hospital failed to report the patient's death to federal and state officials, according to law.
Following the incident, CMS launched a full investigation and released a report that cited the hospital as a "serious threat" to patient safety. At CMS' request, the Texas Department of State Health Services performed the survey. The hospital consequently received a DSHS report on August 8 and CMS' report based on their interpretation of the department's findings on August 9.
Parkland Memorial was required to submit a corrective action plan in order to retain its Medicare/Medicaid status and continue receiving reimbursements by Aug. 24. Details of Parkland Memorial's deficiencies were not made public until the hospital submitted its corrective action plan. The hospital was cited for the following deficiencies by state and federal regulators:
• Hospital policies and procedures were not added and enforced to ensure compliance with EMTALA requirements.
• The hospital ED did not provide an appropriate medical screening examination by a qualified professional to determine whether or not an emergency medical condition existed for all patients in the ED requesting an examination.
• All patients who were transferred from the ED to other acute-care facilities were not properly stabilized or transferred.
• The hospital failed to provide 24-hour nursing services furnished or supervised by a registered nurse.
• The hospital did not ensure all patient needs were met by providing adequate nurse staffing in the ED.
• Medical records were not always completed properly with dates, times and/or signatures by the professional responsible for providing patient services.
• The hospital failed to properly dispose of infectious waste, including used syringes, body fluids, used respiratory equipment and used suction equipment.
• The hospital failed to clean ED beds between patient use.
• Hospital ED personnel failed to remove gloves and wash his hands after drawing blood, later contaminating the surface of hospital equipment.
• Hospital environmental service technicians overfilled trash bags and failed to cover the waste during transport through the hospital's ED.
The hospital's corrective action plan includes extensive training and education, hiring additional nurses and other policy changes. According to a letter from CMS, an onsite revisit will be conducted in the corrective action plan is accepted. If Parkland Memorial fails to implement the plan or fully remedy the deficiencies, the hospital will be removed from the Medicare program, effective Sept. 2.
Texas' Parkland Memorial Under Fire for Violating Patient Rights Dallas Hospital Must Pay $50K Fine for Delayed Treatment to Patient Who Later Died
CMS' two-week survey of the hospital was prompted by a February incident involving a patient with schizophrenia and heart problems. The patient was physically and chemically restrained before he died. The hospital failed to report the patient's death to federal and state officials, according to law.
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Following the incident, CMS launched a full investigation and released a report that cited the hospital as a "serious threat" to patient safety. At CMS' request, the Texas Department of State Health Services performed the survey. The hospital consequently received a DSHS report on August 8 and CMS' report based on their interpretation of the department's findings on August 9.
Parkland Memorial was required to submit a corrective action plan in order to retain its Medicare/Medicaid status and continue receiving reimbursements by Aug. 24. Details of Parkland Memorial's deficiencies were not made public until the hospital submitted its corrective action plan. The hospital was cited for the following deficiencies by state and federal regulators:
• Hospital policies and procedures were not added and enforced to ensure compliance with EMTALA requirements.
• The hospital ED did not provide an appropriate medical screening examination by a qualified professional to determine whether or not an emergency medical condition existed for all patients in the ED requesting an examination.
• All patients who were transferred from the ED to other acute-care facilities were not properly stabilized or transferred.
• The hospital failed to provide 24-hour nursing services furnished or supervised by a registered nurse.
• The hospital did not ensure all patient needs were met by providing adequate nurse staffing in the ED.
• Medical records were not always completed properly with dates, times and/or signatures by the professional responsible for providing patient services.
• The hospital failed to properly dispose of infectious waste, including used syringes, body fluids, used respiratory equipment and used suction equipment.
• The hospital failed to clean ED beds between patient use.
• Hospital ED personnel failed to remove gloves and wash his hands after drawing blood, later contaminating the surface of hospital equipment.
• Hospital environmental service technicians overfilled trash bags and failed to cover the waste during transport through the hospital's ED.
The hospital's corrective action plan includes extensive training and education, hiring additional nurses and other policy changes. According to a letter from CMS, an onsite revisit will be conducted in the corrective action plan is accepted. If Parkland Memorial fails to implement the plan or fully remedy the deficiencies, the hospital will be removed from the Medicare program, effective Sept. 2.
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Texas' Parkland Memorial Hospital's Medicare Status Threatened, Cited as "Serious Threat" to Patient SafetyTexas' Parkland Memorial Under Fire for Violating Patient Rights Dallas Hospital Must Pay $50K Fine for Delayed Treatment to Patient Who Later Died