New details from a federal inspection report obtained by The News & Observer offer a closer look at the safety issues that put UNC Health's flagship hospital at risk of losing its federal funding last month.
State inspectors visited Chapel Hill, N.C.-based UNC Medical Center in June and found the hospital failed to meet four conditions of participation in the Medicare program, including infection control and patients' rights. CMS threatened to revoke the hospital's Medicare contract if it did not correct the issues by July 23.
Much of the inspection report, which The News & Observer obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, centers on the case of a 29-year-old patient who took his own life in April about an hour after he was discharged from the emergency department against his mother's wishes.
"The hospital's governing body failed to provide oversight and have systems in place to ensure the protection and promotion of a patient's rights to provide a safe environment in the emergency department," inspectors wrote in the report.
The hospital also failed to have an effective infection control program and quality assessment and performance improvement program for patient safety, the report found.
UNC Medical Center submitted a plan of correction to CMS and is now in compliance with regulations, a spokesperson for the system told Becker's.
"We are grateful for all of our teammates for their efforts during this process, and their commitment to providing excellent care for all of our patients," the spokesperson said. "Working closely with state and federal regulators is one important way we are able to continuously improve the quality of care."