CMS Accepts Parkland Hospital's Plan for Corrective Action

Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, which was cited for serious deficiencies earlier this month by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Texas Department of Health Services, received some good news Tuesday. Officials in the Dallas regional CMS office have approved the safety net hospital's corrective action plan.

David Wright, acting deputy regional administrator for CMS, told HealthLeaders Media that his office has authorized the Texas Department of Health Services to schedule a second review of Parkland to confirm that the CAP steps have been taken and are effective.

Parkland Memorial has until Sept 2^nd to correct certain "immediate jeopardy deficiencies" in infection control and emergency department care or CMS will terminate its Medicare contract. The hospital stands to lose up to $417 million in federal funds out of its annual budget.

This is the second time CMS has cited Parkland for a "serious and immediate threat" finding. The first was in October 2008 for a violation of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act or EMTALA.

Wright said immediate jeopardy findings are issued two or three times a year in the CMS's five-state Dallas region. "Our goal is always to get the hospital back into compliance."

Parkland still awaits word on whether the Texas Department of Health Services has approved a separate CAP to resolve licensure issues related to the CMS deficiencies. State officials did not respond to questions about the status of that review.

Even if Parkland is able to satisfy CMS and the state, it will still not be out of the woods. CMS will forward its review and the CAP to the Office of the Inspector in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to determine if any fines will be levied related to EMTALA violations.

Ron Anderson, MD, and CEO of Parkland Health and Hospital System, declined to comment until the health system receives official notification of the CMS action.

Federal and state officials performed an eight-day onsite review of Parkland Memorial Hospital in July and identified problems in nine broad categories, including infection control, governance, emergency room care, and medical screening. The hospital was notified of the problems and given two weeks to develop a corrective action plan to resolve the issues.

See also:
Parkland Hospital Submits Plan to Remedy Deficiencies, Protect Funding
Commentary: CMS Needs to Come Clean on Immediate Jeopardy