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State Inspection Reveals Faults at Mammoth Hospital |
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Written by Benett Kessler
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Thursday, 17 July 2008 |
Back a few months, the State Department of Health and Human Services inspected Mammoth Hospital four times. The officials completed what they call their survey of Mammoth and have now sent us the findings and the Hospital's response.
The State alleged that Mammoth Hospital failed to follow legally required procedures in dispensing certain drugs - Dorperidol, an anti-nausea medication that has caused deaths from disturbances in cardiac rhythm. The FDA recommends cardiac monitoring with use of the drug. The State found that Mammoth Hospital did not incorporate these recommendations into any hospital policy but will now. 
Problems were noted with other pain medications which were removed from patient use.
The State also found that credentialing and privileging of physicians was occurring without legal requirements like proctoring or supervising of physicians by one another. The State found that Mammoth failed to assess staff members performances which led to Medical Staff members providing services in the hospital without proper documentation of their competency and training. Two staff members had no privileges at all. Hospital officials vowed to change this pattern.
Other irregularities pointed to failure to provide for an organized dietary service including a lack of kitchen cleanliness.
The State report said the Hospital failed to ensure that clinical records are complete and accurate and that survival patient care policies were not reviewed annually.
The report says that not all entries into the medical record were not timed and dated as required. The State said patients' health risks were increased and their report also said that records revealed clinic patients' record had no evidence that the patient had signed admission agreement papers or procedural consents. Several patients, they said, underwent invasive procedures without knowledge of risk or benefits. Documents, they said, lacked signatures, times and dates.
The State report said that patients were not examined for anesthetic risk before and after surgery. Rules, they said, were loose on administering of sedation.
The report alleged no evaluation of treatment furnished by doctors without effective monitoring. In the report, hospital officials vowed to set policies in place and change problems in regard to all issues pointed out by the State.
New Hospital Administrator Gary Boyd said that Mammoth Hospital is waiting for the response from the state to the Hospital's proposed corrections. Boyd said, "We have taken their comments seriously and we have changed policies and practices to address their concerns." Boyd said that the State will either agree with the Hospital's plan or say something different. Boyd said he accepts accountability and wants the Hospital to be the best with cutting edge technology.
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