Failure to Ensure Timely Initial Physician Visits for New Admissions
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that the required initial post-admission physician visit was completed for two residents. For one resident, the initial visit after admission was conducted by a Physician Assistant (PA) rather than a physician, as confirmed by both documentation and interviews with facility staff. Facility policy and regulatory requirements specify that the initial comprehensive visit in a skilled nursing facility must be performed by a physician, not by a non-physician practitioner. The progress note for this resident documented the visit by the PA as the initial skilled nursing facility care visit, which was not in compliance with the stated requirements. For another resident, there was no evidence that a physician completed the required initial visit within 30 days of admission. The first documented physician visit for this resident occurred beyond the 30-day window, and this was confirmed by the Regional Nurse Consultant. Both cases demonstrate a failure to meet the regulatory requirement for timely and appropriate physician visits following admission.