CMS placed Harrison, Mo.-based Cass Regional Medical Center in "immediate jeopardy" after a patient died following a routine colonoscopy, reports The Kansas City Star.
Martha Wright, 83, underwent the colonoscopy Aug. 2, 2018, upon a physician's recommendation. She died Aug. 3 due to internal bleeding. It was her first time receiving a colonoscopy.
Ms. Wright's daughter, Dena Royal, filed a complaint against Cass Regional after her mother's death, which prompted state officials to investigate the hospital in November 2018. Investigators found that staff members did not respond properly when Ms. Wright showed signs of distress after the colonoscopy. They also said the hospital had performed 348 colonoscopies since Ms. Wright's death without addressing care deficiencies.
Cass Regional said it has "fully addressed" these issues and submitted a corrective plan to CMS. While the agency has reviewed and approved the hospital's plan, health officials must still make an unannounced visit to the hospital to ensure the changes were implemented properly.
"Patient safety is always our first priority, and all of us at Cass Regional — doctors, nurses, other health care professionals and staff — strive to provide the very best care for our patients every day," the hospital said in a statement on its website.