Serious patient care deficiencies, including three that constituted "immediate jeopardy," were discovered at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, according to a Houston Chronicle report.
CMS conducted an inspection at MD Anderson at the end of August after a previously investigated patient death. It detailed its findings in a report that was made public last week.
The report shows CMS found deficiencies in nine of 23 areas surveyed, as well as two more deaths attributable to the deficiencies. Those deficiencies included lack of necessary equipment and linen sanitation practices, leaving medical records unsecured and failing to properly clean and report chemotherapy spills during infusions.
Three of the deficiencies constituted immediate jeopardy, which "is a situation in which a recipient of care has suffered or is likely to suffer serious injury, harm, impairment or death," according to CMS. Immediate jeopardy designation can affect a facility's CMS funding.
CMS removed the immediate jeopardy designation after MD Anderson provided a corrective plan before CMS auditors conducting the inspection left the facility.
CMS conducted a follow-up survey the week of Oct. 28 to assess improvements made at the facility.
"Several steps remain, but CMS surveyors verbally shared with MD Anderson leadership that the institution has cleared all condition-level findings from the August hospital survey, and its deemed status will be reinstated," according to statement from MD Anderson.
CMS will have to officially reinstate MD Anderson's deemed status in a report, which usually takes a month to generate after an inspection, according to the Chronicle.