Tag Archives: health regulation

DHEC Observes National Assisted Living Week, Sept. 13-19

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National Assisted Living Week is September 13-19 . This year’s theme is “Caring is Essential,” DHEC recognizes the amount of hard work, care and love that it takes to keep South Carolina’s assisted living facilities operational and its residents happy and healthy.

Assisted Living Facilities,also known as Community Residential Care Facilities (CRCFs) in SC, are designed to accommodate residents’ independence, changing needs and preferences and come in a wide range of sizes

CRCFs are not the same as nursing homes, and offer different healthcare. CRCFs are not designed to offer round the clock care for their residents and are not required to have any licensed personnel on staff.. CRCFs offer assistance with items such as medication management, meals, and supportive services such as laundry or transportation.

“Many CRCFs have been impacted and faced challenges with COVID-19. Various areas of DHEC remain in constant communication with the facilities to provide guidance and assistance. Maintaining relationships with facilities is crucial to the DHEC’s mission, said JoMonica Taylor, Interim Section Manager for Residential Facilities Oversight.

During the pandemic, Healthcare Quality has conducted a total of 84 Infection Control Focused inspections at CRCFs. Due to the high risk of COVID-19 to the vulnerable population in congregate settings and the spread of COVID-19 throughout SC, Governor McMaster ordered DHEC to restrict visitation at CRCFs in March 2020. The facilities have shown resiliency during these trying times and great creativity in problem solving. In lieu of visitations, facilities have incorporated closed-window visits, virtual visitation through tablets, and phone calls. During holidays, some  facilities coordinated drive-by parades for residents to enjoy.

On September 1, 2020, in coordination with the Governor’s Office, DHEC partially lifted the visitation restrictions by issuing guidelines for limited outdoor visitation, with the intent to issue more guidelines that further lift visitation restrictions in coming weeks.

More facts about CRCFs

  • There are 497 licensed CRCFs in South Carolina.
  • There are over 150 CRCFs with Memory Care Units for residents suffering from dementia.
  • CRCFs are inspected annually
  • 3 new CRCFs have opened in SC during the pandemic

DHEC agrees that Caring is Essential, and thanks CRCFs for all that they do. These essential facilities and their staff provide a service to their communities that directly contributes to DHEC’s vision, healthy people living in healthy communities.

”We are incredibly grateful for the cooperation and patience of families and staff at these facilities, both of whom continue do to the best that they can to keep residents connected with loved ones as our state continues to respond to the pandemic,” Taylor said.

For more information on assisted living facilities, please explore the links below:

South Carolina Assisted Living Association

South Carolina Healthcare Association

Find Healthcare Services with DHEC’s “Find a Facility” Interactive Map

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The start of a new year brings New Year’s resolutions, many of which are related to improving our health. Let DHEC help you find the healthcare facilities that can assist you with your resolutions by using our Find a Facility interactive map.

Accessible on any Internet-connected device, Find a Facility is an interactive map identifying all DHEC-licensed healthcare facilities. The map allows users to search for specific facilities or filter facility types based on the user’s preferences.

Licensed healthcare facilities available in the map:

  • Adult Day Care Facilities
  • Ambulatory Surgical Facilities
  • Birthing Centers
  • Body Piercing Facilities
  • Community Residential Care Facilities
  • Hearing Aid Specialists (permanent and temporary)
  • Home Health Agencies
  • Hospice Facilities and Programs
  • Hospitals
  • Intermediate Care Facilities (15-bed and +16-bed building types)
  • In-Home Care Providers
  • PSAD Facilities (inpatient and outpatient types)
  • Licensed Midwives
  • Midwife Apprentices
  • Nursing Homes
  • Renal Dialysis Facilities
  • Residential Treatment Facilities for Children and Adolescents
  • Tattoo Facilities

“This application is designed to help individuals conduct their own research on healthcare facilities and services,” said Gwendolyn Thompson, interim deputy director of Health Regulation. “Whether seeking a licensed tattoo facility or trying to find an in-home care provider, this map makes it easy to find important information all in one place.”

Clicking a pin on the zoomable map opens a detailed window for an individual facility that provides the following information:

  • Facility name
  • Facility physical address
  • Facility phone number
  • Facility administrator’s name and direct phone number
  • Facility email address (multiple, if applicable)
  • Facility license number and expiration date
  • County and ownership type of facility
  • Facility mailing address
  • Facility licensee name, if different than facility name
  • Licensed room capacities, if applicable, including:
    • Certified number of operation rooms
    • Certified number of endoscopy rooms
    • Certified number of procedure rooms
  • Regulation(s) that the facility complies with

Find a Facility is a public-use, interactive map and database, developed as a result of joint efforts between DHEC’s Health Regulations and GIS teams.

“This free application allows us to share our resources with the community at large,” said Veronica Moore, GIS program manager. “We encourage healthcare facilities, medical professionals and the general public to take advantage of the application and the valuable data it offers.”

DHEC in the News: West Nile Virus, Infant Sleep Safety, Mt. Pleasant Water, Assisted Living Facility

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Here’s a look at health and environmental news from around South Carolina.

Hurricane Matthew continues to leave its mark on Beaufort County with West Nile cases

(Beaufort, SC – Island Packet) Just two human cases of the West Nile virus have ever been confirmed in Beaufort County — both within eight months of Hurricane Matthew.

Gregg Hunt, Beaufort County Mosquito Control director, said the timing of the events is no coincidence.

“Hurricane Matthew has played a major role in what we’re seeing,” Hunt said.

“After Hurricane Matthew, a lot of debris had fallen into standing water caused by the flooding and tidal waves,” he said. “And organic material decaying in the water produces an ideal breeding ground for that kind of mosquito (that carries West Nile) … That’s what set the tone after the hurricane.”

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According to the Department of Health and Environmental Control, about 1 in 5 people who are infected with the West Nile virus will develop a fever with other symptoms such as headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea or rash. These people likely will have a full recovery, but fatigue and weakness could last for weeks or months.

Less than 1 percent of those infected will develop a serious neurological illness such as encephalitis or meningitis, according to the release.

Mom’s heartbreaking Facebook post raises awareness about safe sleeping conditions for babies

(Greenville, SC – FOX Carolina) According to DHEC, 194 babies died between 2009 and 2015 in South Carolina due of unsafe sleeping conditions, making this the third leading cause of infant deaths in the state.

“This cause of death is 100 percent preventable,” said Michelle Greco, manager of the Child Abuse Prevention Program at Greenville Health System.

Greco says babies under 1 year of age should sleep in a crib or bassinet with a fitted sheet and a firm mattress.

“Anytime that an infant under the first year of life is put down to sleep it needs to be treated the same,” said Greco, “They need to be alone with no other people, pets or objects.”

Mt. Pleasant residents ‘trying to have faith’ as they wait on results of DHEC water tests

(Mt. Pleasant, SC – ABC News4)  Several people living in Mount Pleasant want answers to concerns over water quality, and DHEC is now doing something about it.

Tuesday, workers were in Mount Pleasant testing water samples. It’s all part of an effort to find out if there is something in the water that could pose a health hazard.

DHEC samples were taken from three houses in the Mount Pleasant area. Officials with Mount Pleasant Waterworks said they chose those areas because of recent concerns.

Charleston assisted living facility where woman was killed by nearby alligator could face enforcement from DHEC

(Charleston, SC – Post and Courier) …Department of Health and Environmental Control investigators found [Brookdale Charleston] staff did not follow their own guidelines to conduct night checks on [Bonnie] Walker, a plan put in place when she had wandered off before. She had left the facility days prior “looking to go home,” and staff decided she needed to be housed in a memory care unit.

Now Brookdale Charleston could be facing enforcement action from DHEC. Representatives of the facility met with state officials June 13. A spokesman for DHEC said the two parties are “working on finalizing a consent order.” Brookdale declined to comment on the matter.

Such meetings are an opportunity for a facility to present any evidence of their own, said Pam Dukes, formerly a health regulator with DHEC. It would be “very unusual” for the negotiation not to end in enforcement, Dukes explained, which could mean a fine or a license suspension.

For more health and environmental news, check Live Healthy SC regularly.

DHEC in the News: mosquito spraying, crisis stabilization unit reopens

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Here’s a look at health and environmental news from around the state.

Mosquito spraying will begin soon in Williamsburg County:

…at least 61 different species of mosquitoes exist in South Carolina. The most common diseases that could potentially be carried by mosquitoes in South Carolina include: West Nile, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, La Crosse encephalitis, Saint Louis encephalitis virus, and dog/cat heartworm.

DHEC has granted a special waiver to allow The Charleston Dorchester Mental Health Center to reopen a facility aimed at keeping more non-violent, mentally ill patients out of jails and hospitals.

Existing regulations required all patients have a chest X-ray done at least 30 days prior to entering the crisis unit:

While the requirement still exists, DHEC has given the local facility, the only one of its kind in the state, a special waiver, Blalock said.
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Center officials are currently working alongside DHEC to acquire a “crisis stabilization” license, which the state doesn’t yet have.

For more news from DHEC, visit Live Healthy SC.

 

 

Health Regulation Team Honored for Outstanding Effort in Patient Safety Work

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By Jim Beasley
photo above: Shelly B. Kelly, Yolanda Holloman, Tamara Grant, Barbara Brague and MaryJo Rooue

Sometimes, regulating leads to the need for swift action.

Emergency actions taken by DHEC Health Regulations staff following an unannounced complaint investigation at an ambulatory surgery center have earned recognition from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Their efforts also exemplified the agency’s core value of promoting teamwork.

It was April 2015 when registered nurses Tamara Grant and Yolanda Holloman from DHEC’s Bureau of Certification visited a site and found that the facility was placing its patients in “Immediate Jeopardy,” the formal term for a crisis situation in which the health and safety of individuals are at risk. Serious violations were found, including practices covering infection control and surgical services.

The team collaborated with the Bureau of Health Facilities Licensing and the Division of Acute Disease Epidemiology, finding several areas at the facility requiring an urgent plan of correction. Bureau of Health Facilities Licensing staff referred the center’s medical director for review by another state agency, while Division of Acute Disease Epidemiology staff conducted a contact investigation of patients and collaborated with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for additional guidance.

CMS Award_2

Eva Johnson, Lorie Sanders, Tamara Grant, Sandra Johnson, Barbara Brague and Yolanda Holloman

Barbara Brague, a registered nurse with the Bureau of Certification, helped guide the inspectors in the field during a situation that proved a challenging experience for all. She interacted with the other DHEC bureaus and worked closely with the CMS regional office to determine whether the facility’s correction plan was acceptable.

DHEC surveyors conducted follow-up inspections in May and June 2015 to verify that corrections were made and to ensure the facility complied with federal regulations and conditions.

This shining example of cooperation and collaboration among bureaus demonstrates the importance of communication across the agency and with our partners.

Congratulations to all staff involved in this extraordinary effort for helping to protect the health and safety of patients. The award is well-deserved.