Repeat Deficiency in Food Storage and Sanitation Due to Ineffective QAPI Oversight
Penalty
Summary
The facility's Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) Committee failed to sustain corrective actions to prevent recurrence of a previously cited deficiency related to food storage and sanitation. Despite having a policy in place that requires ongoing monitoring and evaluation of corrective actions, the facility was cited again for failing to ensure food items were stored and maintained in a safe and sanitary manner. Specifically, surveyors found that expired products and spoiled food were not discarded, and some items were not refrigerated according to manufacturer's instructions. These issues were observed during kitchen inspections and were consistent with similar findings from a previous survey. Record reviews and staff interviews confirmed that the facility had been cited for the same deficiency in the past, indicating a lack of effective ongoing oversight and monitoring by the QAPI Committee. The Administrator acknowledged awareness of the previous deficiencies and stated that monthly QAPI meetings were held to address high-risk concerns, but the recurrence of the same issues demonstrated that the corrective actions were not sustained or effective in preventing the deficiency from happening again.