Lack of Updated Hospital Transfer Agreement
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to provide evidence of an updated hospital transfer agreement, as required for ensuring residents can be transferred quickly to a hospital when necessary. Document review showed that the only available agreement was with the previous owner, a company that no longer exists, and there was no current contractual agreement with a hospital under the new ownership. During staff interviews, the executive director explained that the process of updating contracts with all vendors, including hospitals, had been slow due to the recent acquisition of multiple facilities by the new company. No updated agreement was presented prior to the survey exit, potentially affecting all 86 residents in the facility. No specific residents or their medical conditions were mentioned in the report, and the deficiency was identified through staff interviews and document review.