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| Wash. nursing home faces $611,000 fine over lapses during fatal coronavirus outbreak | Wash. nursing home faces $611,000 fine over lapses during fatal coronavirus outbreak |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| A Washington state nursing home tied to at least 37 covid-19 deaths faces a fine of more than $611,000, federal inspectors said, and could also lose Medicare and Medicaid funding if it does not correct a slew of deficiencies that led to the country’s first major outbreak of the novel coronavirus. | A Washington state nursing home tied to at least 37 covid-19 deaths faces a fine of more than $611,000, federal inspectors said, and could also lose Medicare and Medicaid funding if it does not correct a slew of deficiencies that led to the country’s first major outbreak of the novel coronavirus. |
| In a letter Wednesday to Life Care Center of Kirkland, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services wrote that the nursing home failed to report an outbreak of respiratory illness to local authorities for two weeks as required by law, gave inadequate care to its residents during the outbreak and failed to provide 24-hour emergency doctor services. | In a letter Wednesday to Life Care Center of Kirkland, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services wrote that the nursing home failed to report an outbreak of respiratory illness to local authorities for two weeks as required by law, gave inadequate care to its residents during the outbreak and failed to provide 24-hour emergency doctor services. |
| The inspectors said that if the nursing home northeast of Seattle “does not correct all deficiencies and return to full compliance by September 16, 2020, then CMS will terminate your facility from participating in the Medicare/Medicaid program.” | The inspectors said that if the nursing home northeast of Seattle “does not correct all deficiencies and return to full compliance by September 16, 2020, then CMS will terminate your facility from participating in the Medicare/Medicaid program.” |
| As Washington nursing home assumed it faced influenza outbreak, opportunities to control coronavirus exposure passed | As Washington nursing home assumed it faced influenza outbreak, opportunities to control coronavirus exposure passed |
| As of Thursday afternoon, Life Care had not responded to a request for comment on the inspection findings and the penalties. The company has a right to appeal. | |
| Inspectors levied a per-day civil penalty of $13,585 for the alleged deficiencies, dating to Feb. 12, around the time that the outbreak is thought to have taken hold, and continuing through March 27. They said the fine could be raised, or lowered, depending on the facility’s compliance with its correction plan. | Inspectors levied a per-day civil penalty of $13,585 for the alleged deficiencies, dating to Feb. 12, around the time that the outbreak is thought to have taken hold, and continuing through March 27. They said the fine could be raised, or lowered, depending on the facility’s compliance with its correction plan. |
| In addition to losing its federal payments under the Medicare and Medicaid programs, the facility also could lose its Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Program and forfeit federal payment for the patients it admitted from March 21 to March 27. | In addition to losing its federal payments under the Medicare and Medicaid programs, the facility also could lose its Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Program and forfeit federal payment for the patients it admitted from March 21 to March 27. |
| Sign up for our Coronavirus Updates newsletter to track the outbreak. All stories linked in the newsletter are free to access. | Sign up for our Coronavirus Updates newsletter to track the outbreak. All stories linked in the newsletter are free to access. |
| “These remedies will continue in effect until the effective date of the termination of your Medicare provider agreement, or the facility is found back in substantial compliance,” said Patrick Thrift, branch manager for CMS’s long-term-care survey and enforcement division in Seattle. | “These remedies will continue in effect until the effective date of the termination of your Medicare provider agreement, or the facility is found back in substantial compliance,” said Patrick Thrift, branch manager for CMS’s long-term-care survey and enforcement division in Seattle. |
| Officials said that 129 residents, staff and visitors were infected with the coronavirus, which causes mild-to-moderate symptoms in most people but can prove fatal to the sick and elderly. Thirty-seven people associated with Life Care had died as of March 23, according to King County, which encompasses Kirkland. | |
| In figures updated April 1, the county said that 2,496 people had tested positive for covid-19 in total and that 164 people had died due to covid-19 illness. | |
| In a summary of its findings issued last month, CMS said inspectors had found that Life Care failed to swiftly notify regional authorities that it had a surge in respiratory infections, and continued to admit new patients and hold events such as a Mardi Gras party for dozens of residents and guests. | In a summary of its findings issued last month, CMS said inspectors had found that Life Care failed to swiftly notify regional authorities that it had a surge in respiratory infections, and continued to admit new patients and hold events such as a Mardi Gras party for dozens of residents and guests. |
| The Washington Post found that Life Care did not file a report with authorities for more than two weeks after it began discouraging visitors on Feb. 10 because of the illness among residents, which it assumed to be seasonal influenza. | The Washington Post found that Life Care did not file a report with authorities for more than two weeks after it began discouraging visitors on Feb. 10 because of the illness among residents, which it assumed to be seasonal influenza. |
| King County said it received notification of an increase in respiratory illnesses at the nursing home late on Feb. 27. Life Care has said it also left a voice message with county officials the day before. State law and county regulations required Life Care to report any suspected flu outbreak within 24 hours. | |
| The Seattle region was the site of the first confirmed coronavirus case in the United States. Authorities said on January 21 that a 35-year-old man in Snohomish County, which neighbors King County, had tested positive after traveling from the Wuhan region of China, where the virus is thought to have originated. The man has since recovered. | |
| Some relatives of residents who were at Life Care during the outbreak said they were shocked by the inspectors’ findings. | |
| Todd Campbell, 59, said he was surprised that Life Care continued accepting patients such as his father, Gene, and that they did not have an adequate plan to deal with infection. | |
| Campbell’s father, 89, was admitted to Life Care on Feb. 21 after a brief hospital stay for a stroke, and later tested positive for covid-19. He is now recovering, Campbell said. | |
| “It’s surprising that they have until September to fix things,” Todd Campbell said. “Nobody’s going to want to go there … I wouldn’t want my dad to go back there.” | |
| Federal records on the inspection requested by The Post contained new details of the pandemonium as the virus descended on Life Care. The facility had failed to follow basic protocols required to prevent infection, inspectors said, and instead created conditions that could have allowed it to spread from room to room. | |
| The report showed that Life Care failed to hold “consistent or effective” quality-assurance and performance-improvement (QAPI) meetings in 2019 — which are intended to flag infection control and other issues. | The report showed that Life Care failed to hold “consistent or effective” quality-assurance and performance-improvement (QAPI) meetings in 2019 — which are intended to flag infection control and other issues. |
| Managers at the facility held quality-assurance meetings on Jan. 27 and Feb. 19, after the virus already had been detected in a neighboring county. | Managers at the facility held quality-assurance meetings on Jan. 27 and Feb. 19, after the virus already had been detected in a neighboring county. |
| The home’s director, who joined the facility in January, told CMS inspectors: “Normally if there are concerns in infection control it would have been discussed in the QAPI meeting.” | The home’s director, who joined the facility in January, told CMS inspectors: “Normally if there are concerns in infection control it would have been discussed in the QAPI meeting.” |
| CMS said infection concerns did not come up at either meeting, including the one in February, which was held days after Life Care said it posted signs warning visitors about the respiratory outbreak that staff thought was the flu. | CMS said infection concerns did not come up at either meeting, including the one in February, which was held days after Life Care said it posted signs warning visitors about the respiratory outbreak that staff thought was the flu. |
| “Further review of the 02/19/2020 monthly QAPI meeting minutes under the nursing section revealed: no reports of infection concerns at the facility,” the CMS report said. | “Further review of the 02/19/2020 monthly QAPI meeting minutes under the nursing section revealed: no reports of infection concerns at the facility,” the CMS report said. |
| The nursing home’s medical director, who was not identified, did not attend either of those meetings, the report states. Life Care’s “Infection Preventionist” nurse attended the January meeting, but did not attend the Feb. 19 meeting. | The nursing home’s medical director, who was not identified, did not attend either of those meetings, the report states. Life Care’s “Infection Preventionist” nurse attended the January meeting, but did not attend the Feb. 19 meeting. |
| The executive director and two unidentified administrative staff members said “it was very chaotic” inside Life Care, as patients and dozens of staff members fell ill in February and March. Patient records were incomplete. Staff members were sick and unable to tend to the residents, they told inspectors. | The executive director and two unidentified administrative staff members said “it was very chaotic” inside Life Care, as patients and dozens of staff members fell ill in February and March. Patient records were incomplete. Staff members were sick and unable to tend to the residents, they told inspectors. |
| “We were triaging residents as the residents were crashing, so there wasn’t going to be a lot of documentation,” one nursing home official, who was not identified in the report, told CMS inspectors. | “We were triaging residents as the residents were crashing, so there wasn’t going to be a lot of documentation,” one nursing home official, who was not identified in the report, told CMS inspectors. |
| CMS said the facility “did not have effective systems in place” to prevent the infection or respond to it. Life Care officials did not notify health-care authorities of the outbreak until Feb. 26 and did not have a 24-hour emergency physician or adequate staff to respond to the outbreak. | CMS said the facility “did not have effective systems in place” to prevent the infection or respond to it. Life Care officials did not notify health-care authorities of the outbreak until Feb. 26 and did not have a 24-hour emergency physician or adequate staff to respond to the outbreak. |
| The facility lacked a “clear medical plan of action,” inspectors said, leading to a “systemic failure.” | The facility lacked a “clear medical plan of action,” inspectors said, leading to a “systemic failure.” |
| Relatives watch as covid-19 tears through Seattle-area senior homes. ‘It’s a very helpless feeling.’ | Relatives watch as covid-19 tears through Seattle-area senior homes. ‘It’s a very helpless feeling.’ |
| On March 7 — nearly a month into the outbreak — inspectors said two certified nursing assistants, a man who had worked at Life Care for 15 years and a woman who had been there for four years, said they had not been trained to properly sanitize items with bleach wipes. | On March 7 — nearly a month into the outbreak — inspectors said two certified nursing assistants, a man who had worked at Life Care for 15 years and a woman who had been there for four years, said they had not been trained to properly sanitize items with bleach wipes. |
| Also that day, inspectors spotted a laundry staff member who delivered clothing to residents in multiple rooms without changing her gown, gloves and other protective gear despite warning signs that patients might have been contagious. | Also that day, inspectors spotted a laundry staff member who delivered clothing to residents in multiple rooms without changing her gown, gloves and other protective gear despite warning signs that patients might have been contagious. |
| Bridget Parkhill, a 54-year-old medical assistant whose mother, Susan Hailey, 76, remains in Life Care after testing positive for covid-19, said the fine imposed by CMS was not “not even close” to large enough to make a difference. | |
| “It’s very obvious that it’s business as usual,” she said. | |
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