Excela Health Westmoreland Regional Hospital in Greensburg, Pa., has been cited for failing to report patient deaths following physical or chemical restraint within 24 hours to state and federal regulators, according to a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette report.
According to the report, six patients died following chemical or physical restraint from Feb. 20-April 7. Under Pennsylvania state law, healthcare providers must report patient deaths associated with restraint to the state within 24 hours. Healthcare providers must also report the deaths to Medicare by the end of the next business day following a patient death.
However, state regulators were not notified for as long as 28 days after a patient death at Westmoreland Regional. CMS similarly waited as long as 18 days, according to the report. Hospital CMO Jerome E. Granato, MD, quickly dispelled any misunderstanding that the citations allege the hospital improperly restrained patients or the restraints caused the patients' deaths.
Dr. Granato said hospitals often restrain patients in the ICU to ensure patients do not pull out critical hospital equipment, such as ventilators. Additionally, he said it takes several days for the hospital's medical records to process the deaths, causing a delay in reporting to state and federal regulators. The hospital has since revised its policy to ensure more timely reporting of patient deaths associated with restraints.
Read the news report about Excela Health Westmoreland Regional Hospital's citations.
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According to the report, six patients died following chemical or physical restraint from Feb. 20-April 7. Under Pennsylvania state law, healthcare providers must report patient deaths associated with restraint to the state within 24 hours. Healthcare providers must also report the deaths to Medicare by the end of the next business day following a patient death.
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However, state regulators were not notified for as long as 28 days after a patient death at Westmoreland Regional. CMS similarly waited as long as 18 days, according to the report. Hospital CMO Jerome E. Granato, MD, quickly dispelled any misunderstanding that the citations allege the hospital improperly restrained patients or the restraints caused the patients' deaths.
Dr. Granato said hospitals often restrain patients in the ICU to ensure patients do not pull out critical hospital equipment, such as ventilators. Additionally, he said it takes several days for the hospital's medical records to process the deaths, causing a delay in reporting to state and federal regulators. The hospital has since revised its policy to ensure more timely reporting of patient deaths associated with restraints.
Read the news report about Excela Health Westmoreland Regional Hospital's citations.
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