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FL hospital pays heavy fine for IC violations

Infection Control Monitor, July 23, 2004

A Palm Beach, FL, hospital has paid one of the largest fines in state history for its lax infection control (IC) efforts and other violations, the Palm Beach Post reports.

Although the problems occurred in 2002 and the $95,000 fine levied against Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center was paid to the state last year, the violations only became public recently after the Post obtained records about the matter from the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). The state originally fined Gardens $323,800, but later reduced the penalty to $95,000.

The state first identified the patient infection problems during a surprise inspection at Gardens in May 2002. AHCA's 55-page complaint cited Gardens for ignoring rampant IC problems, improperly storing medicine, and failing to inform state health officials that some patients unexpectedly returned to surgery with postoperative infections.

Other violations included the following:

* The facility failed to identify causes of postoperative infections for patients unexpectedly returned to surgery.
* The hospital left medication in hallways and unlocked in storage rooms.
* Sterile and unsterile materials were stored together.
* Intravenous pumps had splashes of dried substances on them.
* Overflowing carts with soiled linens were left in hallways.

AHCA officials say the hospital is currently in compliance with the state's IC guidelines.

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