Grady Memorial Deficiencies Persist After Second CMS Survey

Following the first survey, CMS officials said the deficiencies discovered at Grady Memorial in patient rights, nursing services, and the physical environment were so serious as to limit the hospital's "ability to render adequate care." The survey report noted that staffing issues and a lack of safety protocols contributed to the deficiencies.

Haupert says Grady has added about a dozen new patient sitters and put into place protocols to insure that the sitters follow physician orders. It has also developed documents that each sitter completes at the end of a shift before handing off a patient to another sitter or other hospital personnel. Additional personnel have also been hired for Grady's medical-surgical units.