Failure of Physician Supervision and Wound Management for a High-Risk Resident
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure that a resident’s medical care was effectively supervised by a physician, in accordance with facility policy and regulatory requirements. The resident had multiple serious comorbidities, including end stage renal disease on hemodialysis, diabetes mellitus, and protein calorie malnutrition, and was assessed as having moderately impaired cognition and a moderate risk for pressure injury. Initially, the resident had no documented skin problems, but on 08/12/2025 an RN requested a wound care consultation without documenting an identified wound or notifying the attending physician. No wound assessment was documented until 08/14/2025, when the wound care nurse identified moisture associated dermatitis to the sacrum and bilateral buttocks and a physician ordered topical treatments for 30 days. Although a subsequent nursing note on 08/15/2025 documented skin openings to the bilateral buttocks and indicated that the wound nurse and physician were to evaluate, there was no documented evidence of wound progression, effectiveness of treatment, or clinical reassessment between 08/14/2025 and 11/29/2025, despite a later surgical note on 12/17/2025 describing a sacral wound with serosanguinous exudate and specific measurements. After the resident was transferred to the hospital and later discharged back to the facility, the hospital discharge record documented eight wounds, including a Stage III sacral ulcer, unstageable and deep tissue injuries to both hips, deep tissue injuries to both heels, dry gangrene of the left toe, a necrotic right great toe, gangrene of all toes, and a left bunion with partial thickness skin loss. On readmission, the facility nurse documented pressure wounds to the sacrum, bilateral hips, gangrene to all toes, and bilateral heels, but the physician’s history and physical documented only moisture associated skin damage to the sacrum and did not identify the Stage III sacral ulcer or the other seven wounds listed in the hospital discharge summary. A physician order for collagenase was written without specifying the body site, and the treatment administration record showed the treatment as given on two days without identifying where it was applied. The wound care nurse’s assessment on 01/05/2026 documented only a right hip superficial abrasion, moisture associated dermatitis to the sacrum, and unremarkable lower extremities and heels, which did not correlate with the hospital discharge assessment or the nurse’s admission/readmission note. Subsequent physician orders on 01/05/2026 addressed Medi-honey treatment for irritant contact dermatitis and Triad cream for a left hip abrasion, but there was no documented evidence of physician orders or treatment for four of the wounds: the right hip wound, left bunion partial thickness skin loss, and bilateral gangrenous toes. There was also no documented evidence of a podiatry consultation. The wound care physician assistant later documented assessments of the sacrum and left hip (identified as a Kennedy terminal ulcer) but did not assess the gangrenous toes or left bunion wound, stating they only examined areas directed by the wound care nurse. The readmitting physician stated they reviewed the hospital discharge record and saw moisture associated skin dermatitis but did not observe the hip wounds, attempted but did not document a refused lower extremity exam, and did not order podiatry because they did not assess the bandaged extremities. The attending physician for the unit reported never seeing the resident after readmission and was unaware of the multiple wounds and gangrenous toes, relying on the wound care team and unit nurses for communication. The medical director acknowledged reviewing the hospital discharge notes and seeing the list of wounds, stated that the readmitting physician should have ordered treatments for all wounds, and confirmed they did not physically examine the resident. Collectively, these documented omissions and incomplete assessments demonstrate that the resident’s medical care, particularly wound management, was not effectively supervised by a physician as required by facility policy and regulation.
Penalty
Resources
Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:
A resident receiving palliative care and scheduled morphine for pain had a lapse in the renewal process when a 30-day morphine order expired and the next order was not signed in time for pharmacy dispensing. The resident missed four doses over four days, with no refusals documented, and staff interviews showed the physician, Medical Director, DON, and LPNs all recognized that the order should have been renewed before it ran out.
Failure to Escalate Resident Change in Condition When Attending Physician Did Not Respond: A resident with HTN, type 2 DM, and impaired cognition developed tachycardia and then a fever with chills. The attending physician was notified but did not respond, and staff did not notify the Medical Director or any other physician after the lack of response, despite facility policy requiring escalation when the attending physician is unavailable or does not respond.
A resident with chronic pain and respiratory failure received a 10-fold overdose of Morphine after an NP changed the concentration but did not communicate the discontinued order or new dose directly to facility nursing staff. The MAR did not reflect the order change, the narcotic book showed the incorrect dose was given, and the overdose was not promptly reported or assessed before the resident was later sent to the hospital.
Failure to Ensure Timely Physician Oversight of Wound Care: A resident with Parkinson’s disease and high pressure-injury risk developed heel wounds that were not promptly assessed by the MD. The record showed missing physician documentation, incomplete or absent wound care orders, and worsening heel wounds with drainage and infection, including a culture with heavy growth of pseudomonas aeruginosa.
A resident with severe cognitive impairment and multiple psychiatric and GI diagnoses had significant unplanned weight loss, dropping 10.04% in 90 days and 12.64% in 180 days. She was observed sleeping through the day and refusing meals, and the record showed ongoing poor intake, supplement refusal, and weight fluctuations, but no documentation was provided showing that the physician was notified of the significant weight loss.
Failure to provide physician reassessment after a significant change in condition: a resident with a large, foul-smelling scalp lesion was found to have maggots in the wound. Staff notified the MD, who gave wound care instructions by phone, but did not come to assess the resident or document a reassessment before the resident’s outpatient surgery visit.
Missed Morphine Doses Due to Unrenewed Physician Order
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a resident’s medical care was supervised by a physician and that orders for immediate care and needs were maintained throughout the resident’s stay. The deficiency involved one resident who was admitted with Alzheimer’s disease, a stage 4 sacral pressure ulcer, and a closed fracture of the left femur, and who was receiving palliative care and scheduled opioid medication for pain management. The resident’s records showed ongoing physician orders for morphine sulfate oral solution, ordered in 30-day intervals for bedtime pain control. A morphine order that ended was re-ordered for another 30 days, but the prescription was not signed by the physician, so the pharmacy could not dispense it. As a result, the resident did not receive morphine for four days, with four doses missed, and there were no refusals documented in the record. The medication was later re-ordered after the resident’s family complained about the missed doses. Interviews showed that staff and providers were aware of the lapse in the renewal process. The physician stated nursing should have notified the physician when the order expired, and the Medical Director stated the lapses should not have happened and that nurses needed to call the physician when medication was running out. The DON stated nurses should initiate re-ordering early enough to avoid delays in obtaining the physician signature, and the pharmacist stated there was no explanation from the pharmacy side for why the order was not re-ordered until after expiration.
Failure to Escalate Resident Change in Condition When Attending Physician Did Not Respond
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure a physician or the Medical Director promptly provided medical care to a resident when the attending physician did not respond to a change in condition. The resident was admitted with diagnoses including left shoulder osteoarthritis, HTN, and type 2 DM, and had moderately impaired cognition with substantial/maximal assistance needed for several activities of daily living and partial/moderate assistance needed for others. On 7/4/2026, the resident developed tachycardia around 9:40 AM and later chills with a fever of 102.8 F around 12 PM. The SBAR form documented that the attending physician was notified for both changes but did not respond. The record did not show that the Medical Director or any other physician was notified after the attending physician failed to respond. During interviews, LVN 1 and RN 2 stated no other physician was notified, and RN 3 stated licensed nursing staff should notify the Medical Director immediately if there was no response from the attending physician. The DON stated the facility should notify the attending physician of any change in condition or notify the Medical Director promptly within one hour if there was no response.
Failure to Communicate Morphine Order Change and Overdose
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a resident’s medical care was supervised by a physician when a Morphine Sulfate order was changed without the new order being communicated directly to facility nursing staff and without the prior order being discontinued in the resident’s record. The resident had been admitted with diagnoses including acute and chronic respiratory failure and chronic pain disorder. A physician’s order for Morphine Sulfate 10 mg/5 mL, 2.5 mL by mouth every six hours as needed for moderate to severe pain was in place, and an E-Rx request later reflected a new Morphine Sulfate concentrate 100 mg/5 mL order for 0.25 mL every six hours as needed for pain. The July 2026 MAR did not show the earlier Morphine order discontinued or the new concentrated order transcribed. The narcotic administration book showed that 2.5 mL of Morphine Sulfate 100 mg/5 mL was administered, resulting in a 50 mg dose, which was 10 times the prescribed dose in the active physician’s order. The Optum NP who changed the prescription stated she did not notify the facility or communicate that she had discontinued the previous order and sent the new prescription, and she only communicated with the Optum RN. The Optum RN stated she was told the resident needed a refill and later discussed the order change with the NP, but did not contact the facility after that discussion. The resident was later evaluated by an Optum NP who was not informed of the overdose and entered new orders for repeat labs and vital signs every shift for three days, but the record did not show those orders were transcribed. When the overdose was finally reported to the Optum RN, she contacted the NP, who then gave orders to assess the resident, obtain vital signs, administer Narcan, and transfer the resident to the hospital because Narcan was not available in the facility. Staff interviews confirmed the provider changes were not communicated directly to facility nursing staff and that the overdose was not promptly assessed or reported to the provider.
Failure to Ensure Timely Physician Oversight of Wound Care
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a physician supervised care in a timely manner for one resident with significant wound care needs. The resident was admitted and later readmitted with diagnoses including muscle weakness, muscle wasting and atrophy, and Parkinson’s disease. The care plan identified the resident as high risk for pressure injuries due to decreased mobility, incontinence, decreased nutrition, and decline in overall medical condition. On arrival to the facility, a deep tissue injury was observed on the left heel, but the physician progress note the next day did not include evidence that the physician assessed or evaluated the heel wound or skin, and no measurements were obtained at that time. The record also showed ongoing wound care problems involving the resident’s heels. The MDS later indicated one unstageable deep tissue injury present on admission/reentry and stated the resident was not at risk for pressure ulcers. Physician orders from one period failed to include skin prep to bilateral heels, and later orders failed to include treatment for a right heel stage 3 pressure ulcer and then failed to include ordered wound care treatments such as cleansing with normal saline, applying xeroform, and covering with a dry clean dressing. A subsequent wound assessment documented a worsening right heel wound with increasing size, drainage, signs and symptoms of infection, and a wound culture later showed heavy growth of pseudomonas aeruginosa. The physician progress notes reviewed during this period did not show evidence of assessment or oversight of the resident’s wound care and treatment, and the ADON confirmed the facility failed to ensure timely physician supervision.
Failure to Notify Physician of Significant Weight Loss
Penalty
Summary
The provider failed to notify the physician of one resident who had unplanned significant weight loss. The resident had severe cognitive impairment with a BIMS score of 0 and diagnoses including mild neurocognitive disorder with behavioral disturbances, psychotic disorder, unspecified disorder of adult personality and behavior, unspecified intellectual disabilities, depression, non-infective gastroenteritis and colitis, and gastric ulcer without hemorrhage or perforation. Her weight decreased from 134.5 lbs on 4/12/26 to 121 lbs on 7/12/26, a 10.04% loss in 90 days, and from 138.5 lbs on 1/12/26 to 121 lbs on 7/12/26, a 12.64% loss in 180 days. The resident was observed asleep in bed during the day and was reported by CNA to have refused breakfast and lunch. She was later observed waking up but still lying in bed in the dark, and RN J later documented that the resident refused lunch again when awakened for medications. The record also showed repeated weight fluctuations and ongoing nutritional concerns, including refusal of supplements and picky eating discussed at a care conference. The DON stated that nursing staff would notify a physician if there was a 4 lb difference in weight, but no documentation was produced showing that the physician was notified about the resident's significant weight loss.
Failure to Provide Physician Reassessment After Maggot-Infested Scalp Wound
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure physician supervision and ongoing clinical oversight after being notified of a significant change in condition for one resident with a large scalp lesion. During observation, the resident had multiple black-colored lesions on the scalp, including a large central lesion about the size of a tennis ball that was partially covered with brown material and had yellowish, foul-smelling drainage. Staff reported that the resident was admitted with the lesion, that it intermittently drained, and that on 6/12/26 a staff member found maggots in the wound. After the maggot infestation was reported, a staff member assessed the resident and called the physician, who instructed staff to clean the area with soap and water, apply petroleum jelly, and cover the wound. The resident received a shower and the lesion was dressed per orders, but the physician did not come to the facility to assess the resident after notification. The physician later stated he did not evaluate or reassess the resident because an outpatient general surgery appointment was already scheduled. Record review showed no physician progress note documenting reassessment of the resident’s condition between the report of maggots and the outpatient surgical evaluation.
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