Source: Kirkland nursing home fined $611,000 over deadly coronavirus outbreak
KIRKLAND, Wash. - Federal regulators have assessed a $611,000 fine against a coronavirus-ravaged Kirkland nursing home after an inspection found critical problems that contributed to the outbreak there, resulting in at least 37 deaths and dozens of confirmed cases.
The fine was issued Thursday against the Life Care Center of Kirkland by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
In a letter to the Life Care Center's director, federal officials said the facility is being fined $13,585 per day effective Feb. 12 and continuing through March 27, for a total of $611,325. The facility can appeal the fine.
The federal inspection found a number of deficiencies at the Kirkland nursing facility that placed patients' safety in "imminent danger." Among them:
A follow-up inspection found that some of the problems at the Life Care Center had been corrected, so the facility will be allowed to operate until Sept. 16.
If all problems have not been corrected by that date, the federal government may cancel its Medicare provider agreement, federal officials said.
Cheryl Strange, secretary of the Department of Social & Health Services, called the outbreak at Life Care Center of Kirkland "an unprecedented situation for the state of Washington."
“We have worked closely with our federal partners over the last several weeks to determine what lead to the outbreak there and what contributed to its spread throughout the facility (and) we have learned valuable lessons," she said.
She said the lessons learned are now being applied to prepare long term care facilities throughout the state for the potential of COVID-19.
KIRKLAND, Wash. - Federal regulators have assessed a $611,000 fine against a coronavirus-ravaged Kirkland nursing home after an inspection found critical problems that contributed to the outbreak there, resulting in at least 37 deaths and dozens of confirmed cases.
The fine was issued Thursday against the Life Care Center of Kirkland by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
In a letter to the Life Care Center's director, federal officials said the facility is being fined $13,585 per day effective Feb. 12 and continuing through March 27, for a total of $611,325. The facility can appeal the fine.
The federal inspection found a number of deficiencies at the Kirkland nursing facility that placed patients' safety in "imminent danger." Among them:
- The facility failed to rapidly identify and manage sick residents even as the number of respiratory infections spiraled.
- The center failed to notify the state Department of Health about the increasing rate of respiratory infections among residents.
- The facility failed to have a backup plan in the absence of Life Care's primary doctor, who fell ill.
A follow-up inspection found that some of the problems at the Life Care Center had been corrected, so the facility will be allowed to operate until Sept. 16.
If all problems have not been corrected by that date, the federal government may cancel its Medicare provider agreement, federal officials said.
Cheryl Strange, secretary of the Department of Social & Health Services, called the outbreak at Life Care Center of Kirkland "an unprecedented situation for the state of Washington."
“We have worked closely with our federal partners over the last several weeks to determine what lead to the outbreak there and what contributed to its spread throughout the facility (and) we have learned valuable lessons," she said.
She said the lessons learned are now being applied to prepare long term care facilities throughout the state for the potential of COVID-19.
