CMS has warned Fort Washington (Md.) Medical Center that it will be terminated from the Medicare program effective Nov. 16 unless the hospital corrects deficiencies found there during an investigation, according to a Washington Business Journal report.
CMS flagged several issues at the 34-bed hospital, including the delayed treatment of a head injury patient who needed emergency care. An August CMS investigation found the hospital took seven hours to get a head injury patient transferred to a hospital with a higher level of care, according to the report.
The patient with the head injury had to be transferred from Fort Washington to another hospital via ambulance for a CT scan because Fort Washington's machine wasn't working. Although the patient was able to get the CT scan at the second hospital, that facility lacked the capability to treat the patient if emergency care was needed. Therefore, the patient, who was in need of "immediate" medical care, had to be transferred back to Fort Washington following the scan. The process ended with the patient being air-lifted to a third hospital, according to the report.
Other violations, such as improper signage, were also flagged by CMS. The violations at Fort Washington were deemed "condition-level" by investigators.
Fort Washington has already taken steps to resolve the issues identified by CMS. A spokeswoman for the hospital and its parent company told the Washington Business Journal, "We have addressed all issues raised in this survey and fully anticipate that this matter will be resolved without any interruption to patient care."
More articles on healthcare finance:
Back from the brink of closure: How a California hospital rebounded after 3 years of losses
The best- and worst-performing CFO leadership styles
1 year post closure: How an Ohio town is managing after losing its hospital