Report 2014-111 Recommendation 16 Responses
Report 2014-111: California Department of Public Health: It Has Not Effectively Managed Investigations of Complaints Related to Long-Term Health Care Facilities (Release Date: October 2014)
Recommendation #16 To: Public Health, Department of
To better protect the safety of residents in long-term health care facilities, Public Health should direct its district offices to comply with required time frames for initiating and closing completed investigations. If a district office lacks sufficient resources to initiate or close investigations within those time frames, Public Health should arrange to assist that district until such time that the district complies with the statute.
1-Year Agency Response
On May 8, 2015, CDPH posted district-specific data to our website. Subsequent reports will continue to report district office specific details of the complaints and entity reported incidents volume, timeliness, and disposition. CDPH Branch Chiefs use this district-specific data as a management tool and will continue to work with the district office managers to monitor these performance metrics, including meeting required timeframes.
As documented in our benchmark report to CMS, if a district office lacks sufficient resources to initiate or close investigations within those time frames, CDPH Branch Chiefs will collaborate to assist that district until such time that the district complies with the statute.
- Completion Date: October 2015
- Response Date: November 2015
California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Fully Implemented
We reviewed Public Health's website and verified it is providing district-specific data on the timeliness of completing complaints investigations. Public Health also provided documentation showing it has provided assistance to district offices experiencing workload issues.
6-Month Agency Response
On May 8, 2015, CDPH post district-specific data to our website. Subsequent reports will continue to report district office specific details of the complaints and entity reported incidents volume, timeliness, and disposition. CDPH Branch Chiefs use this district-specific data as a management tool and will continue to work with the district office managers to monitor these performance metrics.
- Estimated Completion Date: 10/31/2015
- Response Date: June 2015
California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending
Public Health's response states that it posted district-specific data on its website about volume, timeliness, and disposition of complaint and ERI investigations. However, Public Health does not address our recommendation that it direct its district offices to comply with required time frames for initiating and closing completed investigations and provide assistance to districts unable to meet those time frames.
60-Day Agency Response
On November 7, 2014, CDPH posted on our website performance metrics on the volume, timeliness, and disposition of long-term care health facility complaint and ERI investigations for the first quarter of the 2014-2015 state fiscal year.
By January 31, 2015, CDPH will provide district-specific data to the district offices to use as a management tool. CDPH will work with the district offices to monitor these performance metrics.
- Estimated Completion Date: 10/31/15
- Response Date: December 2014
California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending
All Recommendations in 2014-111
Agency responses received are posted verbatim.