'Last Shot' for Embattled Exeter Hospital

For example, according to the latest report, investigators observed a staff member who was gowned and gloved while cleaning a room. But after cleaning the room, the staff member removed the gown but kept the gloves on outside the room.

"Staff was observed placing their hands, which were still gloved after cleaning the contact precaution room, on the handrail outside the room. The same staff person then returned inside the room and removed the garbage bag from the receptacle and tied off the bag," the report says.

"The staff person was then observed walking out of the room, around the nurse's station, and down the hall to the dirty utility room. During this time the staff person was observed to drag the garbage bag on the floor and use their still-gloved hand to open the door handle on the dirty utility room to enter."

Key members of the infection control staff apparently did not know who provided infection control training to housekeeping staff.

Another example involved investigators' questioning of a member of Exeter's housekeeping staff as to what product should be used to clean a room previously occupied by a patient with C-difficile. "The housekeeper identified a product called 'Virex 256.' This product was later identified by the director of housekeeping to not be effective against this bacterium."

Virex 256 fights viruses. C-difficile is a bacterium.

Exeter hospital officials wrote in tremendous detail, as they did in the August report, how they plan to correct all of their deficiencies from the governing body down to the housekeeping staff. CMS and state officials will need to revisit to make sure they carry out their promises, to be sure.

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