After being closed more than nine weeks because of patient health complications, DaVita Lufkin Dialysis will reopen for patient care Wednesday, a company spokesman confirmed Monday.
While the state has said the facility can reopen as early as Tuesday, DaVita company spokesman Michael Chee said the center will begin treating patients July 2.
Joel Andrews/The Lufkin Daily News |
DaVita Lufkin Dialysis received state approval to reopen, and will open its doors to patients on Wednesday, according to spokesmen from the Texas Department of State Health Services and DaVita. The center has been closed for more than nine weeks due to patient health complications.
|
|
The facility at 700 S. John Redditt Drive closed April 28 after facility administrators contacted local police, state and health departments about a recent spike in patient deaths and health complications. The Texas Department of State Health Services conducted a regulatory investigation into the facility along with officials from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Details on their findings have not been made public.
In a separate investigation, Lufkin Police Department officers have charged former DaVita nurse Kimberly Clark Saenz, 34, of Pollok, with injecting two patients with bleach. While both patients survived, a DaVita spokesman has said the company suspects Saenz is linked to a cluster of four patient deaths in early April. Police have not filed any additional charges.
A spokesman for DSHS said the department has found DaVita's Lufkin location in compliance for reopening, adding that the state would not let any facility reopen that posed a threat to public health.
"We cannot issue a 100 percent guarantee of safety for any facility," said Doug McBride, DSHS press officer. "No one can, but our purpose is to do what we can to protect the public and we are not going to knowingly allow a facility to function that is a threat to public health."
The findings of a state survey conducted in mid-May were released Monday to The Lufkin Daily News through an open records request. The survey is 40 pages total with most of the information they contain blacked out, the state citing what it feels are exceptions to open records rules. Nothing is visible about what deficiencies were cited at the facility. Some portions of the corrective action plan portion of the survey were also blacked out.
The state has requested the Texas Attorney General's Office make a ruling on whether or not that withheld information is open to the public. Surveys typically contain a list of deficiencies or non-compliance cited by the state alongside a corrective plan of action, which is submitted by the facility and later approved by the state. Dialysis facilities are required to undergo a state review every three years during normal operating hours and must be found in compliance with those standards in order to receive reimbursement from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which makes up a large portion of their billing. The most recent survey followed the facility's closure, and was not a part of the federally required survey process.
The facility will not begin operating on Wednesday at full capacity, the state spokesman said, but will open in phases with a gradual buildup on the number of patients it serves. The facility will be closely monitored by the state for at least six months, McBride said. Written monthly reports will also be required.
"Generally speaking, any facility that has been inspected or investigated is more likely to be running in full compliance with the regulations," McBride said.
In accordance with a level three corrective plan of action — the highest kind of enforcement the state can apply — DaVita will be operating with a physician monitor, two nurse monitors and a technical monitor to oversee staff at the facility. The state has also required DaVita to mail and post notices of the findings of the May survey.
While DaVita will be operating with the same staff it did before the closure, DaVita has hired a new facility administrator to run the center, Chee said in a previous interview. Also, all staff have been put through additional re-education and training on the company's policy and procedure, he said.
The corrective plan submitted by DaVita and approved by the state indicated the company started a comprehensive mortality review from January 2007 to the present, according to the state survey. Further details on the facility's mortality rate were not specified in the version of the survey received by the newspaper. The number of patient deaths under review by the investigating departments has not been made public.
Upon reopening, the facility will initiate a "Safety Net" program which involves checks by nursing staff to "ensure correct dialysate, correct medications, correct blood flow rates and safety checks are utilized," stated the corrective portion of the survey.
The portion indicated DaVita would administer a patient satisfaction survey upon reopening. Patients will also be receiving education about their treatments and individualized care plans, the survey stated.
Comments
By Delia
Aug 21, 2008 8:19 PM | Link to this
What is going on with this situation? Is this nurse being charged, being let go or what? I would like an update.
By wow gold
Aug 6, 2008 1:49 AM | Link to this
wow gold
wow gold
By wow gold
Aug 6, 2008 1:42 AM | Link to this
wow gold
wow gold
By ex tech indiana
Jul 30, 2008 10:56 AM | Link to this
Obviously only the first line of my comment was read because i go on to explain that I cannot live my life being pissed for there decision on there own choice for there life. But i do get upset that i try and try to explain to them the bad decisions they make will ultimatly kill them. The resentment I feel I guess I should say is more towards other staff because of there lack of care for patients and there love for money, as well as higher up davita employees who do not actually work in a facility with these people, make it impossible for the pts to hear my voice because everyone else around us few caring staff is saying who cares just make sure your here and on time so we don't have any delays and you better not have any problems or will be really mad at you.
By concerned
Jul 29, 2008 11:18 AM | Link to this
There is no reason for resentment towards patients. The patients are the reason you have a job. Resent the company that promises you something that they know you will never get. If you are just there for the money you are in the wrong place. Sure, everyone goes to work to get a paycheck, but if that is the ONLY reason you go to work, you need to find another field to work in. Healthcare is no place for you. Love of money is what caused all of this in the first place. DaVita and their greed, not wanting to spend money where it needs to be spent and cutting corners that shouldn't be cut.
By another one
Jul 28, 2008 9:40 PM | Link to this
"Would we feel slight resentment to patients that do not meet there goals and affect the bonus" "a little sure!"
And, this tells it all. Patient care driven by bonuses? Resentment towards patients! Thanks for your honesty. If this is prevalent a closer look is warranted.
By ex tech to professional
Jul 27, 2008 11:15 AM | Link to this
Would we feel slight resentment to patients that do not meet there goals and affect the bonus? a little sure! but they are, for the most part, adults they will do as they wish. It is our job to take care of them while there at treatment and educate them on the decisions they should be making with there diets and meds. But, again they are adults and it helps me to sleep knowing I at least tried instead of being pissed off about there "own life" decision they have made. Regardless of all that, the matter is I never felt that good about caring for these patients because Davita wouldn't give me that time to properly care for them! Because of this we were making there condition worse rather than better. If they feel we don't care and were pushing them aside then why should they care. Are push aside, scream at them for making a wrong decision attitude gives them the same reaction. They think fine then i might as well push my care aside to because if "professional's" are doing it why can't I?!?
By professional
Jul 24, 2008 11:23 AM | Link to this
Would staff feel resentment towards patients who did not meet goals which affected their (staff) bonuses?
By The Wave
Jul 24, 2008 10:50 AM | Link to this
Problems concerning the wave have been brought up at staff meetings only to be ignored by those in charge. They say just give it time and once you get used to it you will like it. BULL!!! Just their way of pacifying the workers.
They promise you big bonuses, but put the goals for the bonuses out of reach because they base them on things that are not in your control. How are you supposed to control what a patient eats or how much they drink between treatments? You can't! You can counsel them about what they are supposed to do and warn them of adverse affects if they don't do what they are supposed to do. But you can't go home with them and hold their hand to make sure they do it. They are running patients through these clinics like cattle, making a fortune off of the government and insurance companys and could care less about the patients or the people who do all of the work for them. I understand that this is a "for profit" company, but what would be the harm in putting some of that profit back into the business and doing things right instead of cutting corners until you finally cut the corner too sharp and start costing people their lives?!
By To ex tech Indiana
Jul 24, 2008 9:38 AM | Link to this
You are absolutly right. You are not allowed time to focus on patient care and individual patient needs with "the wave". I honestly believe that the reason that master plan was implemented was to ensure that there was absolutly no down-time for the direct care staff, ensuring that the company got every second they were paying for from staff. While there is nothing wrong with getting your moneys worth from employees, there is a problem when you push the employees to the point where they are unable to do their job in a safe manor, especially in the healthcare field where you have other peoples lives in your hands. The object of "the wave" was to maximize the number of patients that went through the clinics every day, not to maximize patient care.
[1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10] next
Commenting is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. M-F, except on Tuesday when it's open until 9 p.m.
Post a comment
*HTML not allowed in comments. Your e-mail address is required.