Parkland Makes Progress on CAP, but Safety Concerns Remain

Among the key goals met in June:

• Analysis of patient volumes in the emergency department, impatient clinics, and outpatient clinics to improve patient access and throughput.
• Study on case management, discharge planning, and related social work.
• Beginning electronic medical record enhancements to help with medication management, administration and reconciliation.
• Revision of crash cart management to improve the cart stocking process.
• Rollout of an informational campaign on patient safety, infection prevention, and patient rights.

In addition, the hospital has hired Mercer Consulting to revamp its human resources department, including a redesign of policies and procedures on performance management and progressive discipline. Additional outside consultants may be hired to help in case management, women's and infant's specialty health (WISH), and board governance.

According the report, problems persist in Parkland's efforts to "stabilize and transform psychiatric care." Deficiencies in this area set in motion a series of CMS surveys and immediate jeopardy rulings that led to Parkland and CMS signing in September 2011 a very rare SIA. Only one other hospital, Cape Fear Medical Center in Fayetteville, NC, currently operates under an SIA.