Corporate Compliance

GOV’T AUDIT INSIDER: PA nursing facility falls short in staffing regulations compliance

Healthcare Auditing Weekly, June 21, 2005

Beverly Healthcare of Reading, PA, complied with federal staffing laws and regulations, but did not comply with state staffing requirements, according to an OIG review of 92 direct care employees. Beverly did not obtain a current Pennsylvania state police background check for four direct-care employees, did not obtain the background checks for 13 direct-care employees within the required timeframes, and did not schedule sufficient staff to provide the required 2.7 hours of direct care per resident per day for seven of the days reviewed.

The OIG recommends that Beverly restrict the four direct-care employees from working directly with the residents until it obtains valid background checks; review and strengthen its internal controls and prohibit new employees from working directly with residents if the background checks are not received within the required timeframes. The office also recommends Beverly schedule direct-care employees and ensure that there is enough nursing staff on duty to provide 2.7 hours of direct-care per resident per day.

During the audit, the OIG did the following:

  • Obtained background, staffing, and deficiency data for Beverly from the Online Survey Certification and Reporting System database through CMS's Nursing Home Compare Web site

  • Reviewed federal and Pennsylvania laws and regulations for nursing homes

  • Obtained staffing schedules, time and attendance records, and payroll records, as well as the licensed nurse-to-resident ratio for two-week periods in June 2001, November 2001, and May 2002

  • Obtained and analyzed background checks for all direct-care employees

  • Conducted inquiries through Pennsylvania's online license and certification systems

  • Reviewed the results of the two most recent Beverly standard surveys

  • Obtained an understanding of Beverly's procedures for recruiting, retaining and scheduling staff through meetings and discussions with personnel at the home

    Click here to read the audit report, "Review of Nursing Facility Staffing Requirements at Beverly Healthcare of Reading," (A-07-04-04031), issued May 18.

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