F0837 F837: Establish a governing body that is legally responsible for establishing and implementing policies for managing and operating the facility and appoints a properly licensed administrator responsible for managing the facility.
F

Governing Body Failed to Ensure Oversight of QAPI and Safety Practices

Beartooth Rehabilitation And Nursing LlcColumbus, Montana Survey Completed on 02-10-2026

Summary

The facility's governing body failed to provide necessary oversight for the identification and correction of quality deficient practices involving staff member A and the facility's systems and services. The report states the facility had two consecutive surveys with Immediate Jeopardy findings in the area of F689 - Accidents and Hazards, along with multiple deficiencies directly involving staff member A's failures to take necessary or appropriate action on a concern. The deficiency was tied to the governing body's failure to ensure oversight was in place for management and operation of the facility and for QAPI-related review and monitoring. The prior complaint survey, with an exit date of 9/4/25, resulted in Immediate Jeopardy at a J level for F689 related to a resident who sustained a serious major injury from a fall, and a G-level deficiency for F600 - Abuse and Neglect related to neglect of a resident with a serious major injury. The current recertification survey was the facility's first recertification survey after its initial certification survey with an exit date of 12/5/24. The current survey again identified Immediate Jeopardy in F689 involving residents who smoke and use oxygen, as well as F600 abuse and neglect findings, resulting in second consecutive Immediate Jeopardy findings for the facility. During interviews, staff member A stated she was not aware that resident #12 was outside smoking with her nasal cannula and oxygen on, and said the resident knew not to wear the nasal cannula or use oxygen while smoking. Staff member A also stated resident #12 was not to keep lighters in her room with oxygen equipment and that the residents who smoked were independent smokers, so routine monitoring was not needed as it would be for supervised smokers. Staff member N stated he, along with regional staff members B and C, provided oversight to staff member A and QAPI, but also stated the governing body listed on the facility assessment was the company owners and that the assessment needed revision because the owners were not called in to review QAPI or provide direct administrative oversight. He further stated there was no documentation or signatures of his oversight reviews. Staff member C stated she oversaw the facility as a regional consultant and had been coming in since November to monitor plan of correction audits from the prior survey.

Penalty

Inspection fine: $32,98841 days payment denial
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The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.

Resources

Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:

See other F0837 citations
Delayed Refund of Resident Credit Balance
D
F0837 F837: Establish a governing body that is legally responsible for establishing and implementing policies for managing and operating the facility and appoints a properly licensed administrator responsible for managing the facility.
Short Summary

A resident had a $1,791 credit balance tied to SOC payments for Medicare co-insurance, but the facility delayed issuing the refund while trying to determine whether the payment was a true refund or an insurance mistake. The BOM acknowledged the refund was held too long and that the facility’s policy required completion of the refund process within 30 days.

No penalty information released
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The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
No Active Licensed Administrator Onsite
F
F0837 F837: Establish a governing body that is legally responsible for establishing and implementing policies for managing and operating the facility and appoints a properly licensed administrator responsible for managing the facility.
Short Summary

The governing body failed to ensure uninterrupted administrative oversight when the facility was left without a licensed NHA with an active Ohio license after the prior administrator resigned. Corporate staff reported the owner’s Ohio NHA license was inactive, BELTSS confirmed the inactive status, and the facility also lacked a full-time onsite DON, relying instead on an interim DON and other offsite corporate support.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Lack of Written Procedures for Temperature and HVAC Monitoring
D
F0837 F837: Establish a governing body that is legally responsible for establishing and implementing policies for managing and operating the facility and appoints a properly licensed administrator responsible for managing the facility.
Short Summary

Lack of Written Procedures for Temperature and HVAC Monitoring: The facility failed to develop and implement written P&P for monitoring room air temperatures and HVAC units. Staff described a process of checking resident room temperatures, averaging readings by station, and documenting HVAC filter changes, but the logs did not identify the inspection components or the staff performing the work, and the facility had no written guidance for the process.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Maintain a Licensed Administrator
F
F0837 F837: Establish a governing body that is legally responsible for establishing and implementing policies for managing and operating the facility and appoints a properly licensed administrator responsible for managing the facility.
Short Summary

Failure to maintain a licensed administrator. The facility's governing body did not appoint a properly licensed administrator to manage the facility, and no licensed administrator had been in place since the previous administrator became the administrator of record at another facility. The CFO stated he was not a licensed administrator and did not go into the building, and the DON stated she expected the facility to have a licensed NHA.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Incomplete Resident Fund Accounting After Ownership Change
E
F0837 F837: Establish a governing body that is legally responsible for establishing and implementing policies for managing and operating the facility and appoints a properly licensed administrator responsible for managing the facility.
Short Summary

A facility Governing Body failed to ensure complete, consolidated, and accurate accounting of resident personal funds and balance transfers after an ownership change. A Business Office Manager said resident fund accounts were still being transitioned into a new RFIM account, records from corporate were difficult to obtain, and one resident's account remained outstanding for months. A cognitively intact resident reported receiving late, incorrect statements that did not let him verify credits and debits, while another resident's transfer timing was unclear; attempts to reach Corporate and Regional BOMs were unsuccessful.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Missing Licensed Administrator and Governing Body Policy
F
F0837 F837: Establish a governing body that is legally responsible for establishing and implementing policies for managing and operating the facility and appoints a properly licensed administrator responsible for managing the facility.
Short Summary

The facility failed to have a licensed administrator and could not produce a governing body policy. Record review showed the prior administrator left and the current administrator was not hired until more than a year later, leaving the facility without an administrator for over 365 days. The DON identified 25 residents in the facility, and the administrator was unable to locate the governing body policy during the survey.

Inspection fine: $16,35527 days payment denial
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
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