A central Texas hospital has been fined $10,000 as a result of deficiencies in lab testing procedures. State and federal officials say that at least a dozen deficiencies in lab procedures at Lakeway Regional Medical Center resulted in several patients undergoing unnecessary procedures and emergency room patients having to wait up to five hours for test results. The hospital, which is near Austin, has been open for only about a year. A report made by the inspectors with the Texas Department of State Health Services at the request of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) found deficiencies at the 100-bed, $210 million hospital. The report also said the emergency room and nursing were affected by similar problems, according to a story in the Austin American-Statesman. The emergency room reportedly did not have policies and procedures in place regarding the treatment of stroke and heart attack patients. The hospital voluntarily closed the blood bank and the microbiology lab at CMS’s request. It also has replaced some personnel, brought in an experienced lab director, and outsourced work to other facilities in Austin. According to reports, hospital CEO David Kreye said a review of cases found procedures were done “exactly right,” […]
A central Texas hospital has been fined $10,000 as a result of deficiencies in lab testing procedures.
State and federal officials say that at least a dozen deficiencies in lab procedures at Lakeway Regional Medical Center resulted in several patients undergoing unnecessary procedures and emergency room patients having to wait up to five hours for test results. The hospital, which is near Austin, has been open for only about a year.
A report made by the inspectors with the Texas Department of State Health Services at the request of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) found deficiencies at the 100-bed, $210 million hospital. The report also said the emergency room and nursing were affected by similar problems, according to a story in the Austin American-Statesman. The emergency room reportedly did not have policies and procedures in place regarding the treatment of stroke and heart attack patients.
The hospital voluntarily closed the blood bank and the microbiology lab at CMS’s request. It also has replaced some personnel, brought in an experienced lab director, and outsourced work to other facilities in Austin.
According to reports, hospital CEO David Kreye said a review of cases found procedures were done “exactly right,” just not properly documented.
Twelve of the 13 deficiencies found had to do with the lab, and four of them remain under review. Kreye said the problems have been corrected and that most of the infractions had to do with lack of documentation. However, a spokesman for CMS disagreed.
“The hospital was given several opportunities during the course of the on-site inspection to provide information that would demonstrate compliance with Medicare requirements,” Bob Moos told the American-Statesman in an e-mail. “Further, the on-site inspection is not simply a review of policies and procedures, but an evaluation of how those policies and procedures are implemented to prevent adverse outcomes. The findings demonstrate the hospital’s failure at the time to provide care in accordance with our requirements.”
