Townsen Memorial Hospital, located at 1475 FM 1960 Bypass Rd E, in Humble, Texas, was hit with a whopping administrative penalty in the amount of $18,450 in 2020, levied by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC).
Townsen is a surgical hospital with six operating rooms, diagnostic radiology equipment including MRI, CT, and x-ray scans, and an emergency room.
The disciplinary action occurred in response to violation allegations including:
• Emergency services: Texas law requires a physician qualified to provide emergency medical care on duty in the emergency treatment area at all times. According to the HHSC disciplinary action, Townsen Memorial Hospital was alleged to not meet this standard.
• Medical staff: Texas law requires hospitals to have robust medical (physician) staff oversight. The medical staff must periodically conduct appraisals of its members according to medical staff bylaws, and have a medical staff executive committee where majority of the members are doctors of medicine or osteopathy. Plus, the medical staff has to be well organized and accountable to the governing body for the quality of medical care provided to patients. This includes adopting, implementing, and enforcing bylaws, rules, and regulations to carry out its responsibilities. According to the HHSC disciplinary action, Townsen Memorial Hospital was alleged to not meet these standards.
• Infection control: Texas hospitals are mandated to provide a safe and sanitary environment to avoid sources and transmission of infections and communicable diseases. Parts of this obligation includes the hospital’s designation of a person as the facilities infection control professional, armed with policies and procedures governing prevention, control and surveillance of infections and communicable disease that are followed. Different allegations that Townsen Memorial Hospital didn’t meet these standards led the HHSC to enter a disciplinary action against the surgical hospital.
• Medical records: Texas law requires hospitals to maintain a medical record for each patient who presents for evaluation or treatment. HHSC disciplinary action against Townsen Memorial Hospital based on an allegation that it did not adopt, implement, and enforce a policy that complies with disclosure of health care information and preservation of records.
• Nursing services: Texas hospitals must have an organized nursing service that provides 24-hour nursing services as needed. Townsen Memorial Hospital faced multiple allegations of sub-par nursing services. The hospital was alleged to have a deficient Chief Nursing Officer who was responsible for the operation of the services, including determining the types and numbers of nursing personnel and staff necessary to provide nursing care for all areas of the hospital.
• Quality assessment and performance improvement: As a former hospital administrator, I recall spending many hours in committee meetings with this particular focus and realize that it’s important part of hospital leadership. The HHSC disciplinary action against Townsen Memorial Hospital was based, in part, on allegations that it did not provide an effective, ongoing, hospital-wide, data-driven quality assessment and performance improvement program to evaluate the provision of patient care.
• Patient rights: The HHSC disciplinary action against Townsen Memorial Hospital considered an allegation that the hospital didn’t post and adequate patient bill of rights, as required by Texas law.
• Hazard disaster preparedness: Texas hospitals are required to adopt, implement, and enforce a written plan for all-hazard, natural or man-made, disaster preparedness. According to the HHSC disciplinary action against Townsen Memorial Hospital, there was an allegation that the hospital had not made adequate preparations in this regard.
• Patient safety program: Texas hospitals are required to have a written and ongoing patient safety program. This goes right along with the Hippocratic Oath of to first do no harm. Townsen Memorial Hospital was alleged to have an insufficient patient safety program, which led in part to the HHSC disciplinary action against it.
If you’ve been seriously injured because of poor hospital care at Townsen Memorial Hospital, in Humble, or any other Texas hospital, then contact a top-rated experienced Houston, Texas medical malpractice lawyer about your potential case.
