Previous Story
CHCC still awaiting CMS arrival
Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. chief executive officer Esther Muña said they are still waiting for a team from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to visit the hospital.
Muña said the hospital has been prepared for the visit because Friday is the deadline for CMS to make a decision whether to terminate the hospital’s condition of participation with Medicare or conduct a resurvey.
Other CHCC staff confirmed that there isn’t a CMS team yet at the hospital, at least since yesterday.
Muña earlier noted that the hospital continues to work on correcting the shortcomings that CMS found in September 2014.
CHCC hospital administrator Jesse Tudela did confirm that the Commonwealth Health Center was visited by CMS Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment to resurvey the laboratory.
He noted that there was nothing alarming and that the laboratory director is working on recommendations and suggestions that CMS CLIA gave. Tudela said he couldn’t elaborate more on this due to confidentiality and CMS standards.
“So the official that came in last week was not for the hospital but only the laboratory. I myself prepared already the listing of staff for the CMS upon their visit. So they could come any time,” he said.
Last year, CMS extended the hospital’s condition of participation with Medicare up to April 3, 2015, with the plan of corrections to be submitted on Dec. 22, 2014.
Muna confirmed last week that their plan of corrections has been approved with some changes made to address their operating room area.
Muna said the CMS visit will be a validation survey to see if the plan of corrections is being followed.
