Community Medical Centers Submits Improvement Plan to CMS for Fresno Facility
Community Medical Centers on Friday submitted to CMS a plan to address the not-for-profit hospital chain's "long-term failure" to meet standards for nursing services at its downtown Fresno facility, the Fresno Bee reports. In an April 26 letter, CMS said the hospital would not be eligible to participate in Medicare or Medi-Cal if it did not address the issues.
Together, reimbursements from the two programs account for more than half of the Fresno facility's billing, according to the Bee.
Steven Chickering, a regional CMS official, said that the facility also would have to pass an unannounced inspection to remain eligible to participate in Medicare and Medi-Cal. Chickering said the inspection likely will take place in the next few months.
The order from CMS came after a series of inspections found problems that the agency said "substantially limit the hospital's capacity to render adequate care" and "adversely affect patient health and safety."
John Zelezny, senior vice president and interim chief operating officer of CMC, said that officials "are confident" the hospital will pass the unannounced inspection (Correa, Fresno Bee, 5/11).