CMS placed the nursing home at the center of Washington state's COVID-19 outbreak in immediate jeopardy after an investigation revealed numerous deficiencies, the agency announced March 23.
Federal health inspectors visited Kirkland, Wash.-based Life Care Center in mid-March and found the nursing home failed to:
- Immediately identify and manage sick residents.
- Notify the state health department about high rates of respiratory infections among residents.
- Have a contingency plan for when the facility's main physician got sick.
Inspectors plan to return for an unannounced visit in the coming weeks to ensure Life Care Center has properly corrected these deficiencies, CMS said in a March 23 media call.
Since the nursing home's COVID-19 outbreak started in mid-February, 55 of 180 employees have tested positive for the virus and 35 people have died, reports NPR affiliate KUOW.
Editor's note: Becker's reached out to Life Care Center for a statement and will update the article as more information becomes available.