CMS granted St. Petersburg, Fla.-based Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital additional time to correct compliance issues identified during a February inspection, reports the Tampa Bay Times.
Johns Hopkins All Children's on April 30 said it entered a systems improvement agreement with CMS that calls for the hospital to hire an external consultant to oversee improvement efforts. This type of agreement seeks to help hospitals maintain federal funding by granting them a longer period to correct deficiencies.
"We take these determinations very seriously, and we are dedicated to continuing to work closely with our regulators as we redouble our efforts around our culture of patient safety at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital," a hospital spokesperson said in a statement to Tampa Bay Times.
CMS placed the hospital on "immediate jeopardy" status in January after an inspection revealed significant safety issues. Inspectors removed Johns Hopkins All Children's from immediate jeopardy in February, but said the hospital was still noncompliant with some governance, quality assurance and infection control processes. The hospital was given a deadline in mid-April to resolve these issues.