Failure to Schedule Cardiology Follow-Up as Ordered
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency was identified when a resident, who had been admitted to the facility following a hospitalization for a stroke, did not have a cardiology follow-up appointment scheduled as ordered by the physician. The physician's order, dated 2/15/2025, specified that the resident should follow up with a cardiologist in 12 weeks. Upon review of the resident's electronic medical record and interviews with staff, it was found that there was no documentation of the appointment being scheduled within the required timeframe. Interviews with the Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON) and the unit clerk revealed that the process for scheduling appointments relies on the unit manager to inform the unit clerk of any required appointments, as the unit clerk does not have access to the electronic health record to view orders. The unit clerk only became aware of the need for the cardiology appointment on 4/22/2025 and scheduled it for a later date, well after the original order. This failure to ensure timely scheduling of the follow-up appointment resulted in the facility not meeting professional standards of care for the resident.