CMS investigators have changed the status of Western State Hospital, a psychiatric facility in Lakewood, Wash., to "immediate jeopardy" after a medication error put a patient in harm's way, KOMO News reports.
A memo distributed to the hospital's staff says a patient received the wrong medication as a result of a pre-setting on the drugs and workers failing to use a two patient identifier.
In response to the status change, hospital leaders wrote that, effective immediately, "setting up (pre-setting) medication in advance of medication administration is unacceptable."
According to the KOMO report, CMS has extended Western State's deadline to return to substantial compliance to April 1. Should the hospital fail to meet CMS' expectations, it could lose upwards of $60 million in federal reimbursements.
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