Failure to Educate and Offer COVID-19 Vaccination Upon Admission
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that residents were educated on and offered COVID-19 vaccinations upon admission, as required by policy. Specifically, two residents with significant medical histories, including kidney failure, heart disease, urinary tract infection, status post-kidney transplant, chronic kidney disease, and immunodeficiency, were admitted without documentation of their COVID-19 vaccination status. Immunization Audit Reports for both residents did not identify any vaccination history, and there was no evidence that the required education or vaccine offer was provided at admission. During an interview, a registered nurse confirmed that vaccination reconciliation, including checking the Minnesota Immunization Information Connection (MIIC) and documenting immunization history, was part of the admission process. However, upon review, the nurse acknowledged that there was no vaccine data for the two residents in question. The facility's policy required that immunization history be obtained and documented in the electronic medical record, and that any unknown or incomplete vaccination histories be communicated to the attending physician for appropriate orders, which was not done in these cases.