Eight months of inspections at Pottstown Hospital: January to August
The hospital was cited for its restraint policies in July.
Pottstown Hospital was cited by the Pennsylvania Department of Health for restraining a patient’s arms and legs without a doctor’s order.
The incident was one of three times state inspectors visited the Montgomery County hospital, which is part of Tower Health, to investigate potential safety problems in the first eight months of the year.
Here’s a look at the publicly available details:
Feb. 20: Inspectors came to investigate a complaint but found the hospital was in compliance. Complaint details are not made public when inspectors determine it was unfounded.
Apr. 29: Inspectors came to investigate a complaint but found the hospital was in compliance.
Jul. 30: Inspectors cited the hospital for restraining the arms and legs of an aggressive patient without documenting that a doctor had ordered the restraint. Inspectors also cited the hospital for using a form for voluntary commitment that had prefilled sections about the proposed use of restraint during patients’ stay. Physical restraints can only be used when patients pose a safety risk to themselves or others, and when a doctor signs off on the order. The hospital updated its policies to make clear that patients must be evaluated within an hour of being put in restraints and removed prefilled forms.
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.
