Even with excellent outcomes and exceptional patient care, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has threatened MCLNO with the possibility of revoking its accreditation. JCAHO last visited MCLNO in 2002, with a follow-up visit scheduled for December 2005. During the 2002 visit, JCAHO charged MCLNO with rectifying the lack of compliance with applicable laws and regulations, particularly with respect to privacy issues and patient rights. The 2002 JCAHO report specifically states: "(MCLNO) leadership needs to strongly consider seeking from the state a more modern facility to improve patient safety, environmental safety, patient privacy and infection control." Without facility accreditation, MCLNO will not be able to draw Medicaid or Medicare funds, thereby severely impacting the access to care that it could provide.
Other than replacement, the only option would be to ultimately close MCLNO and redistribute medical education and patients throughout the private hospitals in the region. This would have a negative impact on the medical education component due to the absence of sufficient clinical mass at any one site, present access challenges for patients, and shift the uncompensated care burden to private hospitals and physicians.
 |
(c) 2005 All Rights Reserved. |
