HospitalInspections.org

Based on observation, interview and record review the hospital failed to maintain a physician on call for the emergency room (ER). This failure resulted in the hospital being unable to provide emergency services for the community.

Findings:

On December 16, 2015 at 12:45 PM, the hospital was entered to conduct an EMTALA survey. It was observed that the entrance door to the hospital had a sign that showed the following:

"NO PHYSICIAN ON DUTY

Emergency Room IS
Temporarily Closed

For emergency needs
call 911"

In an interview on December 16, 2015 at 1:05 PM, with the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO), she stated, "We have no current medical staff. Dr. (MD name) was our medical director of the ER. He walked out at 8:00 AM on December 3, 2015." The CNO confirmed that they have no patients in the hospital except for the skilled nursing facility residents. The CNO stated that they have informed the residents in the community by newspaper and radio that there was currently no emergency room services. She stated that they notified the California Department of Public Health, the ambulance paramedic service and the police and fire department services of the closing of the emergency room. In addition they posted a sign on the entry door informing anyone who came to the facility that there were no emergency services.

In an interview on December 16, 2015 at 1:15 PM, with the Interim Hospital Administrator, she stated the group the ER physicians belonged to terminated the physician services at the hospital due to non-payment by the hospital for their services.

A review of the ER log (a document listing patients presenting to the ER for emergency services) showed that the last patients checked in to the ER for emergency services on December 2, 2015 (when the ER physician was still there).