OLYMPIA- Surveyors with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) arrived today, Monday, May 14 at Western State Hospital (WSH) to determine whether the facility has been able to make necessary improvements in order to keep $65 million in federal funding.
This re-survey is a follow up from the last official visit of CMS in early May 2017 and is a result of a Systems Improvement Agreement (SIA) between the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) and CMS that began in June of 2016. The agency entered into a second SIA in November 2017 – allowing DSHS more time to continue forward progress at the hospital while retaining continued eligibility for federal funding.
The SIA was entered into so DSHS could fix systemic operating problems at the hospital and restore the focus on patient treatment and overall safety.
During that last, rigorous survey a year ago, WSH was able to show CMS noticeable progress at the hospital, including significant improvements in areas such as active psychiatric treatment.
Around 20 surveyors are currently on site at the hospital and they will review processes and procedures of the facility over the next two weeks.
More information about the Systems Improvement Agreement is on the DSHS website.
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