5 things to know about Frye hospital's Immediate Jeopardy designation

Frye Regional Medical Center in Hickory faced a federal warning earlier this year after state surveyors identified patient safety concerns during a hospital visit.

The hospital was given an Immediate Jeopardy designation from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid in January. The hospital has put a plan in place to rectify the issues and the plan has been approved, according to Frye.

Here's a breakdown of what the Immediate Jeopardy designation means, what led to it, and what the hospital has done in response.

What is the Immediate Jeopardy designation?

Immediate Jeopardy is a designation from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid indicating a hospital's practices could cause serious harm or death, or make such outcomes likely if not corrected. Facilities must quickly correct problems or risk losing Medicare and Medicaid funding. Federal guidelines define it as noncompliance that results in or risks serious injury, impairment or death.

Why did Frye Regional Medical Center receive this designation?

State surveyors identified two major deficiencies while at the hospital for an unrelated investigation: failures in infection control and weaknesses in nursing oversight. These included lapses in documenting patient care, documenting vital signs and ensuring safe delivery of care. Investigators also observed improper use of protective equipment and missing isolation signage for a COVID-19 patient. The complaints that brought investigators to the hospital were determined to be unsubstantiated.

What specific incidents raised concerns?

One case involved a patient who went two consecutive days without documented nursing assessments or vital signs and refused multiple medications, and there was not documentation that anyone told an emergency room doctor. Staff also did not consistently follow isolation protocols for that patient. A separate December case involved delayed pain treatment, though that incident was not tied to the Immediate Jeopardy designation.

How did the hospital respond?

Hospital leadership submitted a corrective action plan to state and federal regulators within the required timeframe, focusing on improving infection prevention and medication procedures. CEO Lindy White said, "I won't say this is common, it doesn't happen every week or every month, but if you've been doing this as long as I have, then these occurrences will occur. It's a process we follow to remedy. We put quality and safety first at the forefront." Regulators later reviewed and approved the plan, and follow-up inspections in March evaluated its implementation.

What is the current status and what happens next?

As of early April, the hospital was waiting for formal confirmation that the designation had been lifted after completing required improvements. The hospital will monitor changes for 90 days. The hospital remains open and has not lost Medicare or Medicaid certification.

This article was prepared with the help of AI technology using information collected and verified by journalists.

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