F0868 F868: Have the Quality Assessment and Assurance group have the required members and meet at least quarterly
D

Failure to Conduct Monthly QAPI Meetings and Maintain Required Committee Members

Faith Lutheran HomeWolf Point, Montana Survey Completed on 03-13-2025

Summary

The facility failed to adhere to its plan of correction following a survey conducted on December 3, 2024. Specifically, the Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) committee did not meet monthly as required, with no meeting held in February 2025. This lapse was confirmed during an interview with a staff member who stated that the February meeting was not rescheduled, and the next meeting was planned for the third week of March 2025. A review of the QAPI Committee Minutes from December 2024 and January 2025 showed no documentation of a meeting in February 2025. Additionally, the facility did not have a licensed Nursing Home Administrator employed as of late December 2024, which resulted in the QAPI committee lacking the necessary staff participation as mandated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The facility's plan of correction, dated January 6, 2025, required audits to be presented to the QAPI team monthly to maintain compliance. However, the absence of an administrator meant the committee did not include the required positions, such as the director of nursing services, the medical director or designee, at least three other staff members including an administrator or individual in a leadership role, and the infection preventionist, as outlined in the State Operations Manual, Appendix PP, for F868.

Penalty

No penalty information released
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The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.

Resources

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See other F0868 citations
Failure to Conduct and Document Required QAPI Activities and Oversight
E
F0868 F868: Have the Quality Assessment and Assurance group have the required members and meet at least quarterly
Short Summary

Surveyors found that the facility failed to conduct and document required QAPI activities, with no QAPI records for most of the review period and no active Performance Improvement Projects. The Assistant Administrator reported that current leadership could not locate prior QAPI documentation and that expected monthly QA and quarterly QAPI meetings were not evidenced. Review of maintenance, pest control, Resident Council, and grievance records showed that administration was aware of ongoing resident and family concerns that persisted without resolution. The survey also identified an ineffective staff training program on QAPI, communication, and behavioral health, and there was no documentation that the governing body was informed of or acting on the identified issues.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Hold Quarterly QAA/QAPI Meetings With Required Medical Director Participation
F
F0868 F868: Have the Quality Assessment and Assurance group have the required members and meet at least quarterly
Short Summary

Surveyors found that the facility did not hold QAA/QAPI meetings on a quarterly basis and did not include the medical director as a participant. Review of meeting sign-in sheets and minutes showed that the medical director did not attend documented meetings, and the Administrator acknowledged that no QAPI meeting was held for one quarter and that the medical director had never attended these meetings. The Administrator also reported there was no written policy governing quarterly quality assurance meetings, despite an expectation that they occur quarterly with medical director involvement, affecting all residents in the facility.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Hold Quarterly QAA Meetings With Required Membership
D
F0868 F868: Have the Quality Assessment and Assurance group have the required members and meet at least quarterly
Short Summary

The facility did not ensure its QAA committee met at least quarterly or maintained required membership. The written QAPI program and policy called for regular, at least monthly, QAA/QAPI meetings, but review of meeting minutes and sign-in sheets showed only four meetings over an extended period, with gaps of about four and five months between sessions. Attendance records also showed that no medical provider participated in one of the meetings. In an interview, the Administrator confirmed there were no additional QAA/QAPI meetings during the identified gap period, resulting in noncompliance with regulatory requirements for QAA committee frequency and composition.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
QAPI Committee Meetings and Physician Participation Not Documented
E
F0868 F868: Have the Quality Assessment and Assurance group have the required members and meet at least quarterly
Short Summary

QAPI committee meetings were not documented as held for two reviewed quarters, and the Medical Director or designated physician representative was not documented as attending the required quarterly QAPI meetings. The facility’s QAPI policy described the program as comprehensive and ongoing, but it did not specify physician participation or attendance expectations, and the DON and NHA acknowledged the missing documentation.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
QAA Meeting Attendance Deficiency
E
F0868 F868: Have the Quality Assessment and Assurance group have the required members and meet at least quarterly
Short Summary

QAA Meeting Attendance Deficiency: The facility failed to ensure all required QAA members attended quarterly meetings. Review of QAPI attendance records showed the required team had not all attended a quarterly meeting since 5/27/25. The DON acknowledged that staff turnover, leadership changes, and the Infection Preventionist being pulled to work as a charge nurse affected attendance. The QAPI plan listed the required participants, including the Administrator, DON, MDS Coordinator, Infection Preventionist, Medical Director, Activity Director, Social Worker, and Dietary Manager.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Hold Required Quarterly QAA Committee Meeting
D
F0868 F868: Have the Quality Assessment and Assurance group have the required members and meet at least quarterly
Short Summary

The facility failed to hold a required quarterly Quality Assessment and Assurance (QAA) committee meeting for one quarter, despite federal regulations and its own QAPI policy requiring at least quarterly meetings. Review of QAPI sign-in sheets and attendance records for the fourth quarter of the year showed no evidence that a QAA meeting occurred, and the Nursing Home Administrator confirmed that the committee did not meet with all required members during that quarter, including leadership and the infection preventionist.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
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