State inspectors uncovered issues with patient restraint monitoring and building requirements at Westerville, Ohio-based Mount Carmel St. Ann's hospital, reports The Columbus Dispatch.
State health officials conducted the inspection on behalf of CMS as part of an investigation into fatal medication doses prescribed to patients by William Husel, DO, a former physician at Columbus-based Mount Carmel Health System.
Inspectors found nurses at St. Ann's failed to check on patients in nonviolent restraints every two hours, as required by CMS. They also found issues with the hospital's physical structure, including violations of national fire safety standards.
CMS has accepted St. Ann's plan to correct these issues, according to Ed Lamb, president and CEO of Mount Carmel Health System. As part of the plan, the hospital reviewed its patient policies and created internal tools to educate nurses on the use of nonviolent restraints.
"Nothing changes in our ability to treat patients covered by Medicare or Medicaid," Mr. Lamb said in an April 23 statement. "Our top priority remains providing safe, high-quality care to our patients, and we are confident that we have processes in place to do just that."