Ruston, La.-based Northern Louisiana Medical Center has been removed from a 90-day Medicare termination track after clearing all condition-level deficiencies identified in the recent regulatory survey process, a hospital spokesperson confirmed to Becker’s.
The spokesperson said the Louisiana Department of Health sent written notice to Northern Louisiana Medical Center Sept. 21 that all condition-level tags had been cleared, and the hospital was no longer on a Medicare termination track with CMS. The hospital also announced the clearance in a Sept. 21 news release posted on Facebook.
The notification follows months of corrective action, staff education, infrastructure improvements and strengthened quality-monitoring processes, according to the release.
“This is an incredibly important day for Northern Louisiana Medical Center, and the credit belongs to our people,” Interim CEO Arnie Young said in the release. “Our physicians, nurses, department leaders and employees embraced an extraordinary amount of change while continuing to care for our patients every day.”
State health department reviewers surveyed the hospital three times beginning in May, finding continuing or new deficiencies each time, according to the Ruston Daily Leader. A June 15 letter from the department told the hospital it no longer qualified as a Medicare provider and set an Aug. 30 termination date.
CMS extended that deadline to Oct. 1 in late August, while noting the hospital remained out of compliance in three areas: patient rights, radiologic services and physical environment. The compliance push also coincided with a leadership change. CEO Monica Adams resigned Aug. 21 after about three months in the role, citing personal and family reasons, and Mr. Young, the COO at the time, was named interim CEO.
“Clearing these condition-level deficiencies was an important goal, but it was never our only goal,” Mr. Young said. “Our responsibility is to make sure the improvements we’ve made become part of how we operate every day.”
Becker’s has reached out to CMS and the Louisiana Department of Health and will update this article if more information becomes available.
