CNMI hospital granted extention to fix standards

1:50 pm on 4 November 2016

The Northern Marianas lone hospital has been given an extension to comply with deficiencies identified by the last survey of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

The 2014 survey saw the Commonwealth Health Centre in violation of seven out of 24 standard conditions.

The extension is a welcome reprieve for CHC as the alternative would have been involuntary termination, effectively cutting off Medicaid funding that 70 percent of the hospital's patients rely on.

CHC's first survey showed 13 out of 24 conditions were violated and gave the hospital an "Immediate Jeopardy" status.

That status is given to institutions that could harm, impair, or even kill by viture of their deficiencies.