Acting nursing director Gayline Blau yesterday said all the deficiencies cited by CMS have already been addressed.
“I know the nurses are doing their work. What needs to be done to their patients, I know they are doing it,” she said.
Early this year, CMS uncovered various deficiencies at CHC that could threaten the health and safety of patients.
Blau said before CHC nursing director April Ricotta went on vacation leave, they submitted their compliance and development reports to CMS.
“I believe we’re just waiting for their response because as far as I know we met the deadline for complying with those deficiencies,” she said.
Blau said the deficiencies identified by CMS were not really “a big problem.”
“When they were here (the CMS team), we had a few bedridden patients with a lot of problems that made it easier for them to develop pressure ulcer [or bed sores],” she said.
Blau said they have created a team that monitors patients who may develop pressure ulcer.
The overtime of nursing staff has been a problem at CHC because of financial constraint, she added.
But, she added, they have controlled and minimized overtime while maintaining the quality of services.
Their operation has not been affected by the restriction on overtime, she said.
