St. Christopher's Hospital for Children in Philadelphia has been granted a three-year license after previous failed attempts, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Oct. 11.
The hospital had operated with two six-month temporary licenses since July 2023. It secured the three-year license this July after a May visit from the Pennsylvania Department of Health determined the hospital resolved issues flagged in previous inspections, the Inquirer reported.
St. Christopher's was cited for violations related to safety, sanitation and patient privacy in May 2023. The issues from the May visit had been corrected by the time inspectors returned in November, but the hospital was then cited for different safety and sanitation violations.
The problems identified in November had been fixed by March, the Inquirer reported.
A weeklong visit in May found the hospital was in "substantial compliance" with safety regulations, although it was cited for a few other issues, such as dust and rust in an operating room, according to the Inquirer.
"St. Christopher’s received its full three-year re-licensure effective July 21, 2024," a hospital spokesperson said in an email to Becker's. "As always, St. Chris continues to work closely with the Pennsylvania Department of Health to ensure that we continue to provide the safest and highest quality care to our patients."
Over the past five years, only five Pennsylvania hospitals have received temporary licenses, and three of them required another temporary license, the local outlet reported in February.
The hospital's president and CEO, Don Mueller, resigned in February after taking on the role in July 2020.
West Reading, Pa.-based Tower Health and Philadelphia-based Drexel University in partnership own and operate St. Christopher's.