Lack of Dedicated Full-Time Infection Preventionist for SNF
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to employ a dedicated full-time infection preventionist (IP) solely for the skilled nursing facility (SNF) as required by California Assembly Bill 2644 and outlined in All Facility Letter (AFL) 20-85. The IP was responsible for infection surveillance, tracking and trending infections, staff training, and participating in infection control and QAPI activities. However, the IP's duties were divided among three levels of care within the Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC): independent living, assisted living, and the SNF. The IP reported that her time was not exclusively devoted to the SNF and that she did not document the amount of time spent in the SNF specifically. During interviews and record reviews, the administrator confirmed that the IP was not solely assigned to the SNF but also served as the IP for the other levels of care within the CCRC. The facility's policy and job description indicated compliance with state and federal regulations but did not specify that the IP's full-time role was dedicated only to the SNF. AFL 20-85 and AB 2644 require a full-time IP for the SNF, a requirement not met by the facility's current staffing arrangement.