ASHEVILLE – The federal government has found Mission Hospital in violation of two regulations related to the Emergency Department Inspection Act, according to a March 14 letter released to the media from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. .
The letter, sent by CMS to Mission Hospital CEO Chad Patrick, found that Mission Hospital did not comply with emergency medical care and labor laws. The law requires hospitals participating in Medicare contracts that provide emergency services to provide medical examinations for emergencies, regardless of a patient's ability to pay. The mission violated two violations related to this law, including the medical examination test requirement. A report detailing the incident that led to the violation has not yet been made public.
These represent the latest violations from NCDHHS' November and December investigations into 90 complaints at the facility, according to an email from NCDHHS Principal Deputy Secretary Mark Benton regarding the letter.
Hospitals have until March 24 to submit plans to federal and state regulators that substantially comply with federal requirements. If Mission does not substantially comply with Medicare participation conditions by June 5, the federal government could terminate its Medicare and Medicaid contracts.
These new violations allow the mission to maintain the same schedule of resolving deficiencies regarding the hospital's governing body, patient rights, quality assessment and performance improvement, nursing, laboratory services, and emergency services. In a separate letter to Patrick, the federal government informed the mission that it would accept plans for the facility to correct deficiencies related to continued non-compliance with these six federal regulations.
If the federal government accepts the hospital's plan to correct the deficiencies related to the new emergency department violations, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will again investigate the mission to determine whether the hospital violated the EMTALA law.
The federal government will give hospitals at least 15 days' notice if it plans to cut off reimbursement for the mission, which hospitals can appeal.
Mission Hospital spokeswoman Nancy Lindell did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Citizen Times.
State regulators originally notified the Mission on Dec. 1 that conditions at the facility posed an imminent risk to patient health and safety. CMS notified the hospital on February 1 of the imminent danger designation that the mission's conditions put patients at risk of serious injury. Harm or death. The report detailing the deficiencies included the deaths of four patients and violations of six Medicare participation requirements. Investigators found the hospital had been cleared of immediate danger after visiting the facility in late February.
more:CMS: Mission still not compliant with federal regulations and at risk of losing funding
more:CMS: Mission Hospital has removed “immediate danger” condition.Follow-up results pending
Mitchell Black covers Buncombe County and health care for the Citizen-Times. Email mblack@citizentimes.com or follow us on Twitter @MitchABlack. Support local journalism by subscribing to Citizen Times.
