Six months of inspections Jefferson Abington Hospital: October 2023 to March
Inspectors said the 8-foot-long power cord for a virtual monitoring system posed a strangulation risk to behavioral health patients.
Jefferson Abington Hospital was cited for safety violations involving behavioral health patients and patients at risk of falling in the first quarter of this year.
The two incidents are the only times inspectors visited the Montgomery County hospital for potential safety violations between October 2023 and March.
Here’s a look at the publicly available details:
Feb. 16: Inspectors cited the hospital for failing to prevent a high-risk patient from falling. A patient fell without anyone noticing immediately because staff did not monitor the patient closely enough, even though the medical record indicated a high risk of falling. The hospital retrained staff about evaluating patients for fall risk and proper monitoring protocol.
March 12: Inspectors cited the hospital for strangulation risks in two behavioral health patient rooms. Inspectors said that patients could use the 8-foot-long power cord for a virtual monitoring system to hurt themselves. The hospital removed the devices from the patient rooms and agreed to station nurses in the rooms to monitor patients.
Pennsylvania Department of Health routinely inspects hospitals to ensure the facility is safe for patients and that staff are following all safety protocols. Inspectors may also visit when a hospital staff member or patient files a complaint.
Not all safety violations spark an on-site investigation from inspectors. Hospitals are required to self-report the most serious safety violations and often work directly with the state to address them. Complaint details are not made public when inspectors determine it was unfounded.
The Inquirer tracks publicly available hospital reports related to a complaint, special monitoring, and general safety inspections. The Inquirer does not track inspections for new equipment or occupancy surveys, unless problems are identified.
Inspection reports are publicly available online and are released 40 days after the report is completed.
The Inquirer is publishing roundups of state inspection reports for Pa. hospitals in our coverage area.
