M-Care Violations at Surgical Hospital

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

An outpatient surgical center co-owned by some of the most prestigous medical facilities in the Philadelphia region has been cited for failing to report eight serious events in which patients had to be transferred to another facility.
The Physicians Care Surgical Hospital in Royersford had to transfer the patients when they experienced a variety of conditions ranging from hypoxia to atrial fibrillation. The transfers, which the state considers "serious events" were not reported to the state Health Department or the Patient Safety Authority.
The 30,000 square foot facility, located in western Montgomery County, is co-owned by the Rothman Institute, Main Line Health, Jefferson Health and NueHealth, an operator of physician owned health facilities.
The report, which was recently made public, was based on a full licensure survey conducted by the state Health Department.
The report states that the failure to report the eight patient transfers violated the state Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error Act, known as M-Care.
"Serious events must be reported within 24 hours of their discovery," the report states, adding that the facility should transfer any patient who's presenting medical conitions the facility is not equipped to handle.
Three of the patients had to be transferred after EKG changes. Another was transerred due to "malignant hypertension."
Other violations of state requirements included the failure to establish a separate patient safety committee.
In fact the hospital was using one committee to fulfill state requirements for separate panels, including an infection control committee.
Still other violations including sanitation problems in the food preparation area, dusty areas in some of the 12 patient rooms and an operating room.
When a state investigator asked about the dirty cover on a trash can in an operating room, an employee offered a quick explanation.
"That's probably blood. We did a joint replacement in here this morning and the blood just sprays."
The facility did not file an acceptable plan of correction with the state and hospital officials did not respond to questions.
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