According to the report, an inspection by the Pennsylvania Department of Health revealed that Easton Hospital failed to conduct criminal background checks, as required by state law. In addition, inspectors found the hospital retained expired supplies in the outpatient oncology unit and other areas; failed to give parents of newborns information on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome; failed to document oral medication orders within 24 hours; failed to properly maintain a refrigerator designed to store breast milk for newborns; and failed to maintain proper temperatures in an operating room, according to the report.
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The department’s report did not show any instance of patient harm or abuse.
The specific deficiencies were not made public until after Easton Hospital submitted a corrective plan of action, which the state Department of Health accepted. That corrective action plan included new measures to ensure all criminal background checks are completed and expired materials are removed by unit managers on the fifth day of every month.
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