3 Western Pa. nursing care facilities fined by state

Three area nursing care facilities were fined by the state health department recently, including one in Westmoreland County that now is operating under a provisional license.

Twin Lakes Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Unity was fined $8,750, and its license status was downgraded after it was found in violation of numerous requirements of such facilities, according to the department.

Patient care inspection reports from August showed several issues at the facility which resulted in the fine, including:

• staff members failing to provide pain management to a resident.

• incomplete patient files and improper patient care.

• a high medication error rate and improper labeling and storage of medications.

• staff members failing to conduct reviews of patient medications regularly.

• resident safety after at least one person fell out of bed repeatedly and a safety assessment was not conducted.

In subsequent inspections in January and March, several other issues were found, including the lack of hot water for a couple months in one unit, a failure to report and investigate how a resident left the building twice and incomplete annual training and performance reviews for nurse aides, according to department records.

Officials at Twin Lakes could not immediately be reached.

A facility operating under a provisional license will be inspected by the state every six months instead of annually, said Nate Wardle, health department spokesman. The move to a provisional license from a regular license happens after a facility did not sufficiently address deficiencies. Facilities can face a ban on admissions or having their license revoked if problems continue.

“If the facility fails to show any improvement in obtaining and maintaining compliance at that inspection, a facility may be issued a provisional II license,” Wardle said.

Sanctions are finalized after an appeal period ends.

Two other facilities sanctioned by the department were ordered to pay fines:

• Baldwin Health Center, $7,500. A September report shows that the facility failed to properly label insulin pens and prevent using the same pen on multiple patients. Parent company CommuniCare spokesman Fred Stratmann said the issue has been corrected and the facility has been in compliance with state and federal regulations for many months.

• Uniontown Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, $13,750. An October report shows that the facility failed to prevent a fall from a bed after a resident broke a leg. The administrator and parent company could not immediately be reached.