Alameda County Medical Center Remains Eligible for Federal Funding

Alameda County Medical Center will remain eligible for federal funding, hospitals officials confirmed Tuesday after receiving a letter from CMS dated March 17, the Oakland Tribune reports. The announcement comes after "more than a year of surprise inspections," with ACMC passing a Feb. 15 inspection by CMS and the Department of Health Services, according to the Tribune.

Claude Watts, interim CEO of the medical center, said the hospital achieved compliance by continuously auditing patient charts, adding, "We looked at all the plans of care for patients and did 100% chart reviews every day to look for deficiencies and re-educate staff." He said, "The goal is to get everyone in the mindset that we need to meet conditions of certification at all times."

ACMC's next scheduled inspection will be by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations in about 18 months. CMS and state investigators could inspect ACMC prior to the JCAHO inspection if a complaint is received.

ACMC is Alameda County's public hospital system and includes three inpatient facilities, as well as outpatient clinics in Oakland, Hayward and Newark (Vesely, Oakland Tribune, 3/23).

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