The department’s findings were released after leaders from healthcare unions and a public interest law group called on state officials to oversee the hospital’s operations. Among their complaints, they allege the hospital owners laid off 15-20 percent of pre-sale union employees and poorly manage nursing staff. The hospital’s operator, MHA, refuted those claims, but state officials launched an investigation in response to the complaint last month and just released their findings.
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The department dinged the hospital for not properly cleaning reusable medical devices, not sterilizing instruments according to guidelines, not implementing hand hygiene policies, inadequately clean operating rooms and many more citations. Hospital CNO Felicia Karsos argued many of the citations are a matter of policy and did not affect patient safety, according to the report.
The hospital must submit a plan for corrective action to the state by the end of the week.
Read the report about Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center’s patient care deficiencies.
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