Ten months of inspections at Roxborough Memorial Hospital: July 2025 — April 2026
The hospital was cited for paperwork issues and medical waste disposal problems.
Roxborough Memorial Hospital was cited by the Pennsylvania Department of Health for failing to properly dispose of medical waste and document patient treatment plans earlier this year.
The incidents were among 11 times inspectors visited the hospital, which is part of California-based Prime Healthcare Foundation, to investigate potential safety problems.
Here’s a look at the publicly available details:
July 17, 2025: 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.
July 22: Inspectors followed up on an April 2025 citation regarding failure to report suspected elder abuse and found the hospital was not in compliance. The hospital had been cited for failing to report suspected abuse of a patient at the behavioral health facility where they had been staying before arriving at Roxborough. In April, the hospital said it would update its policies to make clear suspected abuse should be reported as soon as possible and retrain staff. In July, inspectors found the hospital had reported the suspected abuse to the behavioral health facility, but not to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, as required. The hospital said it would clarify in its policies that all cases of suspected abuse should be reported to the health department.
Aug. 4: The hospital was cited for failing to properly transfer patients under federal EMTALA (Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act) protocol. In one of 11 patient records inspectors reviewed, staff transferred a patient to another facility without sending along their emergency records. The hospital was also cited for a staff member who had not completed mandatory annual EMTALA training since 2022. The hospital retrained staff on documenting patient transfers and agreed to hold monthly meetings on EMTALA compliance. Staff members who are not up-to-date on their EMTALA training will be removed from the schedule until they complete the required training.
Oct. 15: Inspectors followed up on the August EMTALA transfer complaint and found the hospital was in compliance.
Feb. 2, 2026: Inspectors followed up again on the April abuse reporting citation and found the hospital was in compliance.
Feb. 12: Inspectors came to investigate a complaint but found the hospital was in compliance.
March 4: Inspectors cited the hospital for improper medical waste disposal and unsafe equipment in behavioral health rooms. Inspectors found that a pharmaceutical disposal box was unlocked and lined with a black trash bag, which is not approved for pharmaceutical waste disposal containers. The hospital was also cited for cords attached to call bells on beds in the geriatric psychiatric unit, which could be dangerous for people at risk of self-harm. The hospital retrained staff on pharmaceutical waste disposal and replaced the corded call bells with wireless systems.
March 4: Inspectors visited for a mental health survey and cited the hospital for failing to complete written treatment plans for one of 12 patient files they reviewed. The hospital retrained staff on documentation and the importance of scanning any written documentation into patients’ electronic files.
March 25: Inspectors came to investigate a complaint but found the hospital was in compliance.
March 31: Inspectors visited for a mental health survey and found the hospital was in compliance.
The 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 Pennsylvania hospitals in our coverage area.
