F0607

D

Failure to Complete Required Background Check Before Allowing Interim DON Unsupervised Access

Kennewick, Washington Survey Completed on 01-20-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to follow its own policies and state guidelines for screening staff through criminal background checks (BGCs) before allowing them unsupervised access to residents. The facility’s guidelines, including the Nursing Home Guidelines “The Purple Book” and the policy titled “Abuse - Screening of Employees and Residents,” require that all staff, including agency-contracted staff, who have unsupervised access to vulnerable adults must have a criminal history BGC completed within 72 hours of hire and prior to starting work, and must be free of disqualifying criminal history. Record review showed that Staff B, an agency nurse contracted to serve as the Interim DON, began working unsupervised with residents on 12/04/2025 without a completed BGC.

Staff B’s BGC was not completed until 01/21/2026, 48 days after they began working unsupervised with residents. During interviews, the Accounting Clerk (Staff C) stated that the process for potential new hires included obtaining a BGC prior to the first day of work to ensure the applicant was not a danger to residents, and that they had repeatedly provided the Washington State BGC authorization form to Staff B, but Staff B had not returned it. Staff C also stated they did not inform the Administrator (Staff A) that the BGC had not been completed. Staff A stated that the purpose of the BGC was to ensure there were no disqualifying events that would hinder employment or put residents at risk for abuse and neglect, and that the process required completion and review of the Washington State BGC prior to the hire or start date. Staff A reported they were not aware that Staff B was working without a valid BGC.