DOJ assesses record settlement in hospital drug diversion case

Southern District Of Georgia Announces Largest Hospital Drug Diversion Civil Penalty Settlement in U.S. History SAVANNAH, GA: In the nation’s largest settlement of its kind involving allegations of drug diversion at a hospital, Effingham Health System has agreed to pay the United States $4.1 million to resolve allegations that Effingham Health System failed to provide … Read more

U.S. Department of Labor Cites Florida Health Facility For Patient Violence To Staff

BRADENTON, FL – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Premier Behavioral Health Solutions of Florida Inc. and UHS of Delaware Inc., the operators of Bradenton-based Suncoast Behavioral Health Center, for failing to protect employees from violence in the workplace. Proposed penalties total $71,137. OSHA responded to a complaint … Read more

Hawaii Volcanic Eruption Video

This video of current volcanic eruptions on Hawaii offers a dramatic view of a kind of disaster that most emergency responders will likely never experience, but begs the question for those in Northwestern US whether the volcanoes in the Cascades or Yellowstone areas might produce such a threat.  

Refusal of Patient Transfer Nets Tennessee Hospital $40,000 OIG Penalty

            The OIG announced earlier this year that it had levied a $40,000 monetary penalty against a Clarksville, TN hospital over allegations of an EMTALA violation. According to the OIG, a 13-year-old child presented at another hospital emergency department with complaints of testicular pain.  An ultrasound indicated a suspected testicular … Read more

How Does SANE Fit With EMTALA?

SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) programs have spread across the country to reduce the trauma from sexual assault, gather evidence to help prosecute sexually violent individuals, and provide support for the victims of sexual assault. Questions I have received from several hospitals recently, however, indicate that many hospitals are not aware of how the SANE … Read more

Protecting Field Workers

GUEST POST FROM STEVE WILDER: If you have employees working in the field…caregivers, social workers, educators, etc…the below article should be of special interest to you.  It reinforces what we have been telling these agencies…they MUST develop plans and programs to keep their employees safe, and provide safety to their employees based on the (hopefully … Read more

CMS issues HIPAA enforcement warning on TEXTING

In its last Standards and Compliance letter of 2017, CMS has issued an uncharacteristically clear message to healthcare providers — you are at risk of a HIPAA violation if you send E-PHI by text. Ref: S&C 18-10-ALL lays out the summary as follows: Memorandum Summary Texting patient information among members of the health care team … Read more