Failure to Accurately Report Nurse Staffing Data in PBJ Submissions
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to electronically submit accurate direct care staffing information through the CMS Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) system. Specifically, the PBJ Staffing Data Report for two consecutive fiscal quarters indicated that the facility did not have Registered Nurse (RN) coverage on multiple dates and lacked Licensed Nurse (LN) coverage for 24 hours on several dates. However, review of the facility's Daily Nurse Staffing Form and Payroll Data Sheets showed that the required RN and LN coverage was actually provided on those dates. Interviews with facility staff revealed that the discrepancies were due to reporting errors. The system did not recognize an RN's hours because the staff member was new to the position, resulting in unreported RN staffing hours. Additionally, there was a period during which RN hours were not reported correctly, as confirmed by administrative staff responsible for PBJ submissions. The facility's policy requires timely and accurate PBJ data submission, but this was not met due to the reporting issues.