F0868 F868: Have the Quality Assessment and Assurance group have the required members and meet at least quarterly
D

Failure to Conduct Monthly QAPI Meetings and Maintain Required Committee Members

Faith Lutheran HomeWolf Point, Montana Survey Completed on 03-13-2025

Summary

The facility failed to adhere to its plan of correction following a survey conducted on December 3, 2024. Specifically, the Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) committee did not meet monthly as required, with no meeting held in February 2025. This lapse was confirmed during an interview with a staff member who stated that the February meeting was not rescheduled, and the next meeting was planned for the third week of March 2025. A review of the QAPI Committee Minutes from December 2024 and January 2025 showed no documentation of a meeting in February 2025. Additionally, the facility did not have a licensed Nursing Home Administrator employed as of late December 2024, which resulted in the QAPI committee lacking the necessary staff participation as mandated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The facility's plan of correction, dated January 6, 2025, required audits to be presented to the QAPI team monthly to maintain compliance. However, the absence of an administrator meant the committee did not include the required positions, such as the director of nursing services, the medical director or designee, at least three other staff members including an administrator or individual in a leadership role, and the infection preventionist, as outlined in the State Operations Manual, Appendix PP, for F868.

Penalty

No penalty information released
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The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.

Resources

Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:

See other F0868 citations
QAPI Committee Lacked Required Medical Director Attendance
E
F0868 F868: Have the Quality Assessment and Assurance group have the required members and meet at least quarterly
Short Summary

QAPI meeting records showed the MD was not documented as attending the required quarterly meetings. Review of attendance sheets and minutes for multiple meetings showed the MD was either not signed in or had no evidence of attendance, and the DON agreed the MD had not attended any of the reviewed QAPI meetings. The QAPI policy required the committee to include the MD and meet at least 4 times per year, but it did not address how to ensure MD attendance.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
QAPI Committee Did Not Include Required Members at Meetings
F
F0868 F868: Have the Quality Assessment and Assurance group have the required members and meet at least quarterly
Short Summary

The facility failed to ensure required QAPI committee members attended all QAPI meetings. The Medical Director stated he had not attended a QAPI meeting in a long time and said meetings were scheduled when he could not attend. Review of QAPI sign-in logs showed multiple meetings without the MD’s signature and several meetings without evidence that the ICP attended, with some logs not identifying staff roles and one month lacking a QAPI sign-in record altogether.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
QAPI Committee Lacked Required Medical Director Participation
F
F0868 F868: Have the Quality Assessment and Assurance group have the required members and meet at least quarterly
Short Summary

The facility failed to maintain a QAA/QAPI committee with the required members for four quarterly meetings. Record review showed the Medical Director was not present at any of the reviewed QAPI meetings, and the ADMN stated the MD either could not or would not attend while making rounds, giving orders, and signing orders during the meetings. The facility’s QAA committee list identified the required members as the Administrator, MD, DON, and ADON.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
QAPI Committee Lacked Medical Director Participation
F
F0868 F868: Have the Quality Assessment and Assurance group have the required members and meet at least quarterly
Short Summary

QAPI Committee Lacked Medical Director Participation: The facility failed to ensure the Medical Director participated in QAPI Committee meetings as required. Review of 13 meeting sign-in sheets showed no documented attendance by the Medical Director, and the Administrator confirmed the MD did not attend or join by phone. The Administrator stated the MD was only in the facility on Wednesdays and meeting times did not always align with that availability.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
QAA Committee Did Not Meet Quarterly With Required Members Present
D
F0868 F868: Have the Quality Assessment and Assurance group have the required members and meet at least quarterly
Short Summary

QAA committee meetings were not held quarterly as required, and the required members were not regularly present. The CNO stated she was covering for the DON while the DON was on leave, but sign-in sheets showed meetings without the DON or covering DON, the IP, or the administrator/board member in attendance. The CNO also stated scheduling conflicts prevented the meetings from occurring on time, despite knowing quarterly QAPI meetings were required.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
QAPI Meeting Lacked Required Infection Preventionist Attendance
D
F0868 F868: Have the Quality Assessment and Assurance group have the required members and meet at least quarterly
Short Summary

QAPI meeting attendance sheets showed the IP did not attend two monthly meetings, and the ADM confirmed the IP was absent. The ADM stated the minimum QAPI attendance included the ADM, DON, IP, and three other members, and noted the IP would not be able to address infection control issues or clarify infection control information, concerns, and questions from the team when absent. The facility policy stated the ADM was responsible for ensuring the QAPI program complied with regulatory requirements.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
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