Time for an Upgrade in the Nursing Home Survey Process: A Position Statement From the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine

A few weeks after getting hit by the first known cases of COVID-19 in the United States, Life Care Center of Kirkland received 3 “immediate jeopardy” deficiencies (with a civil monetary penalty of $611,323): (1) a failure to have emergency physician services available 24 hours a day or to have an alternative emergency plan when the primary care physician, who is also the Medical Director, is unavailable; (2) a failure to have an appropriate infection control surveillance program; and (3) a failure to provide quality care and services for residents during a respiratory outbreak.