F0868 F868: Have the Quality Assessment and Assurance group have the required members and meet at least quarterly
D

QAA Committee Did Not Meet Quarterly With Required Members Present

Whittier Hospital Medical Ctr D/p SnfWhittier, California Survey Completed on 06-11-2026

Summary

The facility failed to have the Quality Assessment and Assurance (QAA) group meet at least quarterly and as needed to coordinate and evaluate activities under the QAPI program, and the required committee members were not in regular attendance at the QAA meetings. During interview, the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) stated she was covering for the DON while the DON was on leave since May 2026, and she also stated the last QAA meeting had been held in May, but she was unable to attend because of scheduling conflicts. The facility’s QAA attendance sign-in sheets were reviewed and showed that the meetings dated 7/10/2025, 12/18/2026, and 5/07/2026 did not document attendance by the DON or covering DON, the Infection Preventionist (IP), or the facility administrator or board member. During the interview, the CNO stated she was the one who attended the facility’s QAA meetings acting as the board member/administrator, but she had been unable to attend the meetings held on 7/10/2025, 12/18/2025, and 5/07/2025 due to scheduling conflicts. She acknowledged that QAPI committee meetings had to occur quarterly, but stated the facility was unable to schedule them on time because of scheduling conflicts. The facility’s policy titled Performance Improvement Plans, revised 2/2026, stated that the governing body was ultimately responsible and accountable for oversight and priority setting for the safety and quality of care, treatment, and services provided.

Penalty

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.

Resources

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See other F0868 citations
QAPI Committee Lacked Required Medical Director Attendance
E
F0868 F868: Have the Quality Assessment and Assurance group have the required members and meet at least quarterly
Short Summary

QAPI meeting records showed the MD was not documented as attending the required quarterly meetings. Review of attendance sheets and minutes for multiple meetings showed the MD was either not signed in or had no evidence of attendance, and the DON agreed the MD had not attended any of the reviewed QAPI meetings. The QAPI policy required the committee to include the MD and meet at least 4 times per year, but it did not address how to ensure MD attendance.

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.
QAPI Committee Did Not Include Required Members at Meetings
F
F0868 F868: Have the Quality Assessment and Assurance group have the required members and meet at least quarterly
Short Summary

The facility failed to ensure required QAPI committee members attended all QAPI meetings. The Medical Director stated he had not attended a QAPI meeting in a long time and said meetings were scheduled when he could not attend. Review of QAPI sign-in logs showed multiple meetings without the MD’s signature and several meetings without evidence that the ICP attended, with some logs not identifying staff roles and one month lacking a QAPI sign-in record altogether.

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.
QAPI Committee Lacked Required Medical Director Participation
F
F0868 F868: Have the Quality Assessment and Assurance group have the required members and meet at least quarterly
Short Summary

The facility failed to maintain a QAA/QAPI committee with the required members for four quarterly meetings. Record review showed the Medical Director was not present at any of the reviewed QAPI meetings, and the ADMN stated the MD either could not or would not attend while making rounds, giving orders, and signing orders during the meetings. The facility’s QAA committee list identified the required members as the Administrator, MD, DON, and ADON.

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.
QAPI Committee Lacked Medical Director Participation
F
F0868 F868: Have the Quality Assessment and Assurance group have the required members and meet at least quarterly
Short Summary

QAPI Committee Lacked Medical Director Participation: The facility failed to ensure the Medical Director participated in QAPI Committee meetings as required. Review of 13 meeting sign-in sheets showed no documented attendance by the Medical Director, and the Administrator confirmed the MD did not attend or join by phone. The Administrator stated the MD was only in the facility on Wednesdays and meeting times did not always align with that availability.

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.
QAPI Meeting Lacked Required Infection Preventionist Attendance
D
F0868 F868: Have the Quality Assessment and Assurance group have the required members and meet at least quarterly
Short Summary

QAPI meeting attendance sheets showed the IP did not attend two monthly meetings, and the ADM confirmed the IP was absent. The ADM stated the minimum QAPI attendance included the ADM, DON, IP, and three other members, and noted the IP would not be able to address infection control issues or clarify infection control information, concerns, and questions from the team when absent. The facility policy stated the ADM was responsible for ensuring the QAPI program complied with regulatory requirements.

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.
QAA Committee Missing Required Infection Preventionist
F
F0868 F868: Have the Quality Assessment and Assurance group have the required members and meet at least quarterly
Short Summary

The facility failed to have the Infection Preventionist attend QAA/QAPI committee meetings for 3 of 3 months reviewed. Meeting minutes from 3/2026 through 5/2026 showed that a qualified Infection Preventionist did not attend any of the meetings, and the Administrator and DNS acknowledged this omission.

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.
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