Failure to Ensure Timely Physician Visits After Admission
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when the facility failed to ensure that a resident was seen by a physician at the required intervals following admission. According to facility policy and OBRA regulations, a resident must be seen by a physician within 30 days of admission, then at least every 30 days for the first 90 days, and every 60 days thereafter. Record review and staff interview revealed that a resident admitted with diagnoses including cellulitis of the left lower limb, chronic venous insufficiency, and edema, and with moderate cognitive impairment, was only seen by a nurse practitioner shortly after admission. There was no documentation that the resident was seen by a physician within the required 30-day period after admission. During an interview, the DON confirmed that the only documented visit for the resident since admission was by a nurse practitioner, and acknowledged that the resident had not been seen by a physician as required by policy and regulation. This failure to ensure timely physician visits was identified through both record review and staff interview.