Improvement plan earns federal, state approval
Central Maine Medical Center has been found in compliance with safety and quality requirements by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the hospital announced today.
In April, a CMS survey team identified opportunities for improvement, largely relating to the hospital’s emergency department, and required CMMC to submit a plan of correction, which was approved by the state last month. Last week, surveyors revisited the hospital and it was in compliance with the plan, had no deficiencies and remains in good standing for participation in Medicare and Medicaid.
“CMMC continues to provide safe, high-quality care to every patient,” said Dr. David Tupponce, President of CMMC and Executive Vice President of Central Maine Healthcare. “That is, and always has been, our primary goal and our top priority.”
In each state, survey teams conduct routine unannounced inspections and interviews to make sure hospitals and other medical facilities are in compliance with standards (many established by the individual facilities) for patient safety and quality. Through “plans of correction,” most deficiencies are corrected satisfactorily. At CMMC, process improvement, training and communication satisfied the corrective plan, officials said.
“We welcome state surveys, which are routine in every hospital, as they ensure that each and every facility works to offer the best care,” said Dr. John Alexander, Chief Quality Officer at Central Maine Healthcare. “We were happy to work with CMS and the State of Maine, and got excellent guidance in this process.”
Alexander said that some of the process improvement focused on methods for patient evaluation and record-keeping in the emergency department, and included more training for staff.
“We believe there is always room for improvement, and we see this as part of our continuous improvement and evolution,” he said. “We will keep raising the bar.”
CMMC has recently received numerous accolades for quality, including two consecutive “A” safety grades from Leapfrog, the prestigious hospital-rating group; multiple accreditations in orthopedic surgery and advanced primary stroke care; and recertification as a Level 2 Trauma Center and in rehabilitation services. It has drastically reduced the number of hospital-acquired infections. The Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute was named one of the top 50 cardiovascular facilities in the nation by IBM/Watson.
