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DaVita dialysis clinic in Conn. fined for multiple state violations
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A DaVita Kidney Care dialysis center in Waterbury, Conn. has been fined $5,000 by the state for violations, including failure to follow hand hygiene policies, disinfection routines, and water testing procedures. This story was originally reported by the Connecticut Health I-Team. The center was also cited for having a leaky roof, rusted dialysis chairs and carts, leaky water connections for the dialysis machines, expired nutritional supplements, and a treatment room that was 60 degrees. Patient complaints about the cold temperatures were documented in the facility grievance log, but the log did not include documentation of a resolution. The clinic has a four-star rating on Dialysis Facility Compare.
Connecticut Department of Health Inspectors reported the violations in a series of visits between May and September 2015. The clinic and the state signed a consent order March 9 that included the fine and a corrective plan. The clinic also agreed to work with an environmental consulting firm to address many of the violations.
“We appreciate the collaborative environment in which we reached agreement with the state that addresses their concerns with this clinic,” DaVita said in a statement. “As we move forward, our extensive clinical policies ensure our patients are cared for safely and effectively and that our teammate performance is consistent with our standards and expectations.”
The inspectors also noted several instances of the clinic lacking documentation of physician assessments of patient treatment plans. Review of clinical records indicated that the clinic had failed to ensure that at least one patient’s blood pressure was being monitored according to facility policy.
Inspectors found one instance when an RN was not present on the treatment floor. The staff was reeducated about the need for at least one RN to be present at all times.
The consent order and list of violations are available on the Connecticut Department of Public Health website. -by Rebecca Zunoff