Tri-City Medical Center Could Lose Accreditation over Patient Care, Report Says
Due to an overcrowded emergency room, poor infection control and "numerous problems with cleanliness," the Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside could lose accreditation unless it improves its quality of care, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. According to the results of a nationwide Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations survey assessing "hospital competence" released by state officials last week, the medical center received a score of 78. Only 1% of the 4,500 hospitals nationwide received an equivalent or lower score. The general findings from the JCAHO survey, performed every three years, were contained in a report released by investigators for the California Department of Health Services licensing and certification division. Among the state report's findings: an emergency room "crowded with patients waiting to be seen by a physician," about "30 instances of poor safeguards to control infections that are a life-threatening problem for sick people" and poor monitoring of medications and the dosages dispensed. JCAHO gave the medical center "conditional" accreditation, and its future accreditation status is contingent upon improvements and compliance with safety standards, which will be assessed during a survey this summer. Tri-City Medical Center CEO Art Gonzalez said the agency will find that the facility has improved its performance. He said, "We feel we addressed every concern before we got these documents. While I'm not happy with a 78, when the inspectors come back in August or September, we'll have a score that's higher than that" (Clark, San Diego-Union Tribune, 3/22).
This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.