CMS inspection finds few issues at Washington Co. Home Health

WASHINGTON — An inspection needed to recertify Washington County Public Health’s Home Health program for federal Medicaid and Medicare dollars raised few red flags last month.

Public Health Director Emily Tokheim said the inspection visit went smoothly.

“It’s a very anxiety-provoking process, but it was a really pleasant experience,” she said. “This was my first experience with the survey … one of the surveyors, multiple times, pulled different staff aside to complement our nurses on the care and attention that they give their patients.”

A report from the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing did highlight one issue: the survey found six instances of home health staff failing to document notifications for physicians after their patients missed a visit from county staff.

The survey said those missed notifications severed from the patients’ written plans of care, amounting to a violation of federal guidelines.

County officials said they had a plan in place to correct the issue, laying out procedures to review the communication system with staff, and add some oversight to the process moving forward, with monthly record audits.

Washington County Nursing Director Karri Fisher said such findings in CMS inspections were not unusual.

“We always have a deficiency, that’s just kind of a given,” she said. “As good a job as you do, you can’t always get everything … we were cited on one standard-level deficiency, which is phenomenal.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com