Providence Memorial Hospital shows improvements, but not fully compliant yet
Providence Memorial Hospital is no longer in immediate danger of losing its federal funding, but they have yet to demonstrate they are fully compliant with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requirements.
This week, State Health and Human Services inspectors surveyed the hospital on behalf for CMS.
They found the hospital made improvements in the area presented as posing “immediate jeopardy” to patient health and safety identified during a September 15 survey. A letter to from CMS to the hospital sent three days later stated Providence was out of compliance in the areas of Governing Body, Patient’s Rights and Infection Control.
The hospital has been under scrutiny after a patient care tech, a nurse assistant, tested positive for active Tuberculosis, potentially exposing more than 850 babies to the disease.
Providence has been working with local, state and federal health agencies, including the CDC, to identify, locate, test and treat the babies.
As required, the hospital addressed by the October 11 deadline the items CMS identified as posing “immediate jeopardy” to patients.
A re-inspection this week found there are still three different areas where the hospital is not meeting the required standards. A letter from the Texas Department of Health Services stated, “consequently, we plan to continue the termination action against Providence Memorial Hospital.”
The finding of non-compliance will not be removed until the hospital passes an unannounced full survey, which will occur sometime between now and December 17.
No extensions will be allowed and no items may remain out of compliance.
