Regulators crack down on Bristol Hospital

The state Department of Public Health and Bristol Hospital signed a consent decree this week that mandates the hospital take steps to improve care. Here is a copy of the decree.

Here's a news story I batted out this afternoon:
After state inspectors found numerous problems with the care offered at Bristol Hospital, the hospital and state regulators signed a consent order this week that promises high quality care and slaps the hospital with a $4,000 fine.
The state Department of Public Health disciplined the hospital after inspectors found a series of violations that included a serious burn from an MRI machine.
The inspections, which occurred between April and October last year, also found a number of instances where patients received inadequate care.
The consent decree spells out changes the hospital is required to make during the next two years in order to improve the quality of its care and to ensure the safety of patients.
The hospital says it has “already implemented many of the points” contained in the Dec. 30 consent decree.
“Bristol Hospital is committed to providing the highest quality care in the safest possible environment,” Kurt Barwis, president of the hospital, said in statement.
“We are the ninth hospital in Connecticut this year to sign a consent agreement.,” Barwis added.
“We recognize that this process helps us to improve the care we provide.We will see to it that the opportunities for improvement directly benefit our patients and our community,” he said.
The hospital said it is reviewing its policies and procedures to make sure medications are administered and documented correctly, that patients are informed of care plans and much more.
“Every employee and member of our medical staff is 100% committed to providing outstanding patient care,” Barwis said.
“We will continue to refine our systems and processes, adopt appropriate quality improvement strategies, and engage all of those involved in the delivery of care throughout the organization to ensure a culture of safety and quality,” the hospital chief said.
In one case, inspectors determined that in October 5, 2007, a woman came in with congestive heart failure. She asked for cardiac resuscitation and ventilation if necessary, but no feeding tube or tracheostomy.
As her condition deteriorated, her code status was revised to “comfort status only” though there was nothing in the records to indicate she’d been consulted. She died that evening with only a morphine drip to keep her from pain.
That same patient was also given more morphine than records called for..
Most of the problems in the state report, which is available online, related to the administration and recordkeeping of medicine and providing information to patients.
But in one case that inspector found, a man getting an MRI last January did not receive the protective padding required and wound up with a severe burn that was so deep that doctors eventually had to cut down to an arm muscle to care for it.

The hospital issued this statement in response to the decree:
On December 30, 2008 Bristol Hospital signed a consent order with the Connecticut Department of Public Health. This order resulted from several inspections carried out by the Department of Public Health between April 2008 and October 2008. This agreement spells out specific issues that Bristol Hospital needs to address over the next two years in order to improve the quality and ensure the safety of the care that is provided to patients. Bristol Hospital has already implemented many of the points agreed to in the order and have been approved by the State.
“Bristol Hospital is committed to providing the highest quality care in the safest possible environment,” stated Kurt Barwis, President and CEO of Bristol Hospital. “We are the ninth hospital in Connecticut this year to sign a consent agreement. We recognize that this process helps us to improve the care we provide. We will see to it that the opportunities for improvement directly benefit our patients and our community.”
As part of the consent agreement between Bristol Hospital and DPH, Bristol Hospital has already implemented extensive reviews of policies and procedures regarding the administration and documentation of medications; revised policies and procedures related to informed patient rights related to plan of care and advanced directives; enhanced education for staff on patient assessments and current standards and practice related to pharmacology regimes, including medication titration protocols; and the review of policies and procedures related to MRI safety precautions and practices.
“Every employee and member of our medical staff is 100% committed to providing outstanding patient care,” stated Barwis. “We will continue to refine our systems and processes, adopt appropriate quality improvement strategies, and engage all of those involved in the delivery of care throughout the organization to ensure a culture of safety and quality.”
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Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com