MOUNTAINS B

Word.08 poetry slam B3

Artist wins national award B3

Obituaries B4-5
TUESDAY
WNC calendar B5 April 29, 2008

ASHEVILLE CITIZEN-TIMES ● CITIZEN-TIMES.com Mountains Editor Brian Ponder, 232-5883 or bponder@CITIZEN-TIMES.com

Witness list includes Duncan

BRIEFS
Ex-governor to stump for Obama
ASHEVILLE — Former Mississippi Gov.
Ray Mabus will campaign in Western

Medford defense may call sheriff, other lawmen

North Carolina today for Democratic
presidential candidate Barack Obama.
Mabus will meet with voters to dis-
cuss Obama’s plans on the economy, By Jon Ostendorff
health care and public education. Stops JOSTENDORFF@CITIZEN-TIMES.COM
include: ASHEVILLE — Former
■ 9:45 .m. at the Old Park Service Sheriff Bobby Medford’s
Office on 468 Main St. in Highlands. attorney could call
■ 11:15 a.m. at the University Center at Buncombe County Sheriff
Western Carolina University. Van Duncan to the witness
■ 12:45 p.m. at Annie’s Bakery at 506 stand along with District
W. Main St., Sylva. Attorney Ron Moore,
■ 2:15 p.m. at Osundu’s Books at 184 N. according to court papers.
Main St., Waynesville. Stephen Lindsay,
■ 3:45 p.m. early vote rally at YMI at Medford’s attorney, filed his
39 S. Market St., Asheville. list of 46 potential witnesses
Monday.
Tribes to Meet in Cherokee It includes former
Buncombe County Sheriff’s
CHEROKEE — The United South and
Office attorney Julie Keppel,
Eastern Tribes will meet in Cherokee for
former Assistant U.S.
their semiannual meeting May 5-8.
Attorney Jerry Miller, former
Tribal leaders will discuss upcoming
legislation and share information about
deputies, retired banker Al
Whitesides and business-
man John Winkenwerder.
The list also includes
Special Agent Rick Schwein,
the former supervisor for the
Asheville FBI office.
Schwein is working in the
Middle Eastern country of
Yemen and will not be pres-
ent. Lindsay interviewed
him Monday in a video con-
ference, and the taped depo-
sition could be used.
Medford’s trial starts
today with jury selection.
He is charged with inter-
fering with commerce by
threat or violence, attempt
Stewart and his wife, Sharon,
who also worked for
Medford.
and conspiracy to commit Medford, who spent 12 years Lt. John David “Johnny”
mail fraud, as Buncombe County sheriff Harrison, who was in charge
money laun- before his 2006 election of video poker regulations
dering, intimi- defeat. for Medford, might testify
dation of wit- A conviction on just one for the government, accord-
nesses and of the charges could put ing to the list.
conspiracy to Medford in prison for life. He reached a deal with
defraud the Federal prosecutors on prosecutors that, in
United States. Sunday filed a witness list of exchange for his testimony,
Prosecutors in Van Duncan 32 names that included ille- reduced his prison sentence.
court papers gal gambling figures, the Judge Thomas Selby Ellis
have alleged he took bribes attorney for the state told the lawyers Monday
of up to $5,000 at a time from Sheriff’s Association, former that he expects to have a 12-
illegal gambling operators. deputies and Medford’s member jury with two alter-
Twenty-four people longtime girlfriend, Judith nates selected and start
involved in illegal video Bell. opening arguments by the
gambling already have Bell is also on Medford’s end of today. The jurors
pleaded guilty. Many have witness list along with for- will come from a pool of 75
agreed to testify against mer Chief Deputy George people.

Pet day care owner found Report

resources and tribal projects.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians,
one of the organization’s founding mem-
bers, expects 300 people at the four-day
event. Created in 1968, USET is intended

dead in her car at roadside details

to better tribal-federal relationships. It
began with four tribes and has grown to
24 members during its 40-year history.

HRMC
Hospital gets $540,000 grant
BREVARD — Transylvania Community
Hospital has been awarded a three-year,

$540,000 rural health development grant
through the Department of Health and
Human Services
The hospital will spend the money on
expanding use of electronic medical
records in physician offices.
This local network will allow the hos-
pital and its physicians to rapidly and
securely share patient information and
public health data with area physician
practices and other members of the
WNC Data Link Network.
It “will lower patient-care costs by
eliminating medical test duplication and
will provide a detailed picture of the
health of the overall community,” said
Bob Bednarek, the hospital’s president
and chief executive officer.
Forum on green jobs
ASHEVILLE — A forum on preparing
youths for green jobs through community
and environmental service will take place
9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday at the Pisgah
View Apartments Community Center in
Asheville.
The forum will include brief presenta-
tions, a youth panel of local high school
and college students, and breakout ses-
sions to gather community opinions.
The Clean Air Community Trust, the
Housing Authority of the City of
Asheville, the Land-of-Sky Regional
Council, and Clean Water for North
Carolina are hosting the event.
The forum is intended to help identify
critical community needs that a green job
training and service corps could help
address.
For more information, contact Dan
Leroy at Clean Air Community Trust by
via e-mail at dan@airtrust.org, or call 318-
9916.
164 marijuana plants seized
Swain County sheriff’s investigators
seized 164 marijuana plants Monday that
were found growing inside a Bryson City
residence.
A anonymous tip led investigators to
the plants, which were growing in two
closets set up with lights, fans and tem-
perature controls, Swain County sher-
iff’s Lt. Jason Gardner said.
“It looked like the operation had been
going on for a while,” Gardner said. The
haul was one of the largest marijuana
busts in Bryson City, he said.
David Timothy Breedlove, 43, of 72
Dogwood Cove Road, was charged with
felony possession of controlled sub-
stance, manufacturing drugs, possession
of drug paraphernalia and maintaining a
building to manufacture controlled sub-
stance. He was being held in the Swain
County Jail with bond set at $25,000.
Compiled by John Boyle
GOT A NEWS TIP?
Call (828) 232-5883
errors
Happy Tails Country Club owner Sonja Kramers poses with her two boxer-mix dogs, Mollie and Maggie. Kramers, 39, died
unexpectedly Saturday on her way to an Asheville Humane Society fundraiser.
Kramers was headed to Humane Society event at Biltmore Estate
By Leslie Boyd
LBOYD@CITIZEN-TIMES.COM
FLETCHER — It wasn’t like Sonja
Kramers to miss a pet event, so
when she didn’t show up at the
Asheville Humane Society’s Walk
for the Animals at the Biltmore
Estate on Saturday, her friends
began to worry.
Kramers, owner of Happy Tails
Country Club for dogs, died sud-
denly Saturday while on her way
to the event. She was 39.
“This was really unexpected,”
said her friend Adelaine
Lockwood, owner of Blaze ’n Skyy
Pet Boutique in Asheville. “We
opened our businesses about the
same time, and we always sup-
ported each other’s businesses.”
Kramers was driving along Mills
Gap Road on Saturday morning,
pulled her car over and was found
dead. The cause of her death had
not been determined Monday.
Kramers graduated from
Roberson High School and UNC
Chapel Hill. She worked in human
resources, then switched to phar-
maceutical sales with Abbott
Laboratories in Chicago. She trans-
ferred to the Asheville area six
years ago.
In April 2006, Kramers opened
Happy Tails, a day care center and
boarding facility for dogs on Cane
Creek Road.
“There were no cages,” said her
friend and publicist, Chuck Werle.
“She had suites for the dogs with
raised beds, sort of like couches.”
Werle said his Cairn terrier,
Foxie, has stayed at Happy Tails.
“She always said she left her
career in the pharmaceutical
industry so she could combine her
love of dogs with her career
goals,” Werle said.
Leah Kaselak, events coordina-
tor for the Asheville Humane
Society, said Kramers went to
most of the dog-centered events
in town, including Yappy Hour, a
fundraiser at area restaurants.
“She was a really great support-
er,” Kaselak said. “She was so
enthusiastic.”
Kramers had thrown a big sec-
SPECIAL TO THE CITIZEN-TIMES
ond-anniversary party for her
business the Sunday before her
death. More than 200 Happy Tails
Country Club “members” and
their dogs showed up, Werle said.
Lockwood said dog owners
appreciated the way Kramers got
to know each dog.
“People really loved that,”
Lockwood said. “So did she. She
was always happy. I never saw her
sad or depressed, no matter what.”
Happy Tails will continue in
business with its general manager,
Susan Zichy, at the helm. Zichy is
Kramers’ cousin.
Kramers is survived by her
mother and stepfather, Susie and
Jack Bondy, of Asheville, and her
brother, Dominic CodyKramers
and his wife, Dayna, of Seattle. Her
father, Loek Kramers, died in 1985.
A funeral is scheduled for 11
a.m. Saturday at St. Barnabus
Church in Arden, followed by a
brief ceremony at 2 p.m. at
Riverside cemetery. “She got to
live her dream, and a lot of people
loved her,” Lockwood said.
By Nanci Bompey
NBOMPEY@CITIZEN-TIMES.COM
CLYDE — A report from
government inspections at
Haywood Regional Medical
Center details the hospital’s
failure to correct problems
with how staff administered
medications.
The report, obtained by
the Citizen-Times on Monday
through the Freedom of
Information Act, details
inspections conducted Feb.
19-22 and Feb. 24.
Inspectors returned to
Haywood Regional on those
dates to determine if the hos-
pital had corrected problems
found during an initial
inspection Jan. 30-Feb. 1 that
placed the hospital on
“immediate jeopardy” status.
Details of the initial inspec-
tion were reported by the
Citizen-Times in March.
When they returned at the
end of February, inspectors
found that problems, includ-
ing how the hospital adminis-
tered medicine, had not been
resolved. They upheld their
original ruling, which led to
the pulling of federal funding
at the hospital Feb. 24.
Since then, HRMC has
worked to correct problems
and passed the first of two
inspections needed to restore
federal health care funding.
The hospital has overhauled
key policies, including med-
ication administration,
patient complaints and quali-
ty oversight.
“HRMC’s corrective action
plan, which was submitted on
March 31, addressed all the
areas of deficiencies cited in
the February CMS (Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid)
report,” Haywood Regional
interim CEO Al Byers said in
a statement. “We continue to
practice and sustain these
improvements.”
Administering Xigris
Among problems cited by
inspectors in the latest report
was the failure of hospital
staff to correctly administer
Xigris, an intravenous med-
ication used to treat sepsis, to
a 19-year-old woman admit-
ted to the intensive care unit.
The woman was to have
received 96 hours of the infu-

NewsPoll at CITIZEN-TIMES.com A HOPE looks to expand its services
TODAY’S POLL: If you had to choose between By Leslie Boyd
LBOYD@CITIZEN-TIMES.COM
the top two presidential candidates with the
most delegates, what would be your vote ASHEVILLE — Every day,
some 350 people walk
today? Go to CITIZEN-TIMES.com and vote. through the door at A
We asked our readers how much they spend on HOPE, a building that was
meant to serve 80 people a
their child’s birthday party. As of 8 p.m. Monday,
day.
they said: A day center for people
who are homeless, A
Less than $50 34.5%
HOPE offers a place to
$50-$100 33.2% shower and store belong-
ings as well as referral
$100-$250 24.7% services. But the center on
More than $250 4.3%
Ann Street has become so
crowded that it has
More than $1,000 3.3% become difficult to pro-
vide any other services to
Total votes 304 people, A HOPE director
Brian Alexander said.
“We expanded our
hours last year, but we have
so many people in the
morning that we’ve had to
allow just 50 people in at a
time and then let them stay
just an hour. You can’t serve
people in an hour.”
Gordon Walton, A
HOPE board vice chair-
man and chairman of its
building committee, said
the agency is looking to
get into bigger quarters
and expand services.
“We want to partner
with other agencies to offer
substance abuse treatment,
mental health and medical
treatment, literacy services
and legal services under
one roof,” Walton said. “We
simply have outgrown this
building.”
A HOPE wants to buy
the former Industries for
the Blind building on
South French Broad
Avenue, but the agency
first has to determine
whether it can handle the
larger budget it would
need to increase staff and
support a larger building.
Alicia Davis, who once
used the services of A
HOPE, said the agency
helped her get on her feet
when she was homeless
and addicted to drugs.
“I’m a contributing
member of the community
now,” she said. “I try to be
an example. People see
me, and they see you can
recover.”
Walton said he hopes
the community will sup-
port the effort.
“If people from the
community want to see
the problem solved, they
need to get behind this,”
he said. “It really does cost
less in the long run to take
care of people.”
sion but received only 92
hours and 35 minutes.
Inspectors found that the
nurse who disconnected the
medication had not had her
Xigris administration compe-
tency validated, and the
process of Xigris administra-
tion was not monitored by
administrative nursing or
pharmacy staff.
The report states that “the
hospital failed to ensure that
this medication was adminis-
tered as ordered and failed to
Please see HRMC on B5
WEB EXTRA
Visit CITIZEN-TIMES.com to read
the full CMS report

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ASHEVILLE CITIZEN-TIMES ● CITIZEN-TIMES.COM CALENDAR/OBITUARIES TUESDAY, APRIL 29, 2008 B5

WNC CALENDAR
Go to CITIZEN-TIMES.com/calendar to view
more events. Share your events, photos and
video at CITIZEN-TIMES.com/submit.
TODAY
ADULT LEAGUE KICKBALL: Weekly
on Tuesday and Thursday, Field 8,
Buncombe County Sports Park, 58
Apac Circle, Candler. Buncombe
County Parks and Recreation is offer-
ing you the chance to bring back
those fun childhood memories with
Adult League Kickball. $25 per per-
son or $200 per team; includes
shirts and awards at end of season.
Call Jay Nelson at 250-4269 or e-
mail jay.nelson@buncombecounty.org.
AIR QUALITY BRIEFING: 8:30-11:30
a.m., Land-of-Sky Regional Council,
339 New Leicester Highway, Suite
140, Asheville. Experts will brief the
media and residents on various air
quality and climate change issues in
WNC. Call Bill Eaker at 251-6622
ext. 142 or e-mail bill@landofsky.org.
BEGINNING LINE DANCING: Weekly
on Tuesday, McDowell Senior Center,
100 Spaulding Road, Marion.
Beginner Line Dance Classes, spon-
sored by McDowell Senior Center, 6-7
p.m. Tuesdays, McDowell Senior
Center, McDowell. Adults 55 and over.
Call 652-8953. Call 652-8953.
BEGINNING TOGETHER TODDLER
PROGRAM: 10:30 a.m.-noon, weekly
on Tuesday, West Asheville Recreation
Center, 970 Haywood Road, Asheville.
Ages 5 and under will enjoy move-
ment, arts, interactive play and
snack. $1 per child. Call 251-4031.
BLUE RIDGE COWBOY CHURCH:
Weekly on Tuesday, WNC Agricultural
Center, 1301 Fanning Bridge Road,
Fletcher. Cowboy worship. Call Louis
Gibson at 273-9635 or visit
www.brcowboychurch.org.
BLUE RIDGE RESIDENCIES: 1-5
p.m., weekly Tuesday-Saturday, Center
of Craft, Creativity and Design, 1181
Broyles Road, Hendersonville. Blue
Ridge Residencies, Center of Craft,
Creativity and Design, exhibit high-
lights work created by a talented
group of artists in residence. Call
890-2050.
BRAD WARNER TO SPEAK AT WAR-
REN WILSON COLLEGE: 7-8:30 p.m.,
Lower Fellowship Hall behind the
campus chapel, Warren Wilson
College, 701 Warren Wilson Road,
Swannanoa. The Warren Wilson
College Buddhist group will host Brad
Warner, a well known soto zen practi-
tioner, author, and bassist for the
hardcore punk band Zero Defex. Call
Jeffrey Richey at 333 0329 or e-mail
jrichey@warren-wilson.edu.
BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU: weekly on
Tuesday and Thursday, Waynesville
Recreation Center, 550 Vance St.,
Waynesville. Learn with Armando
Basulto, certified representative for
Royler Gracie Jiu Jitsu. Call Armando
Basulto at 230-5056, e-mail
bjjsavate@yahoo.com or visit
www.wayofnoway.com.
BRIDGE GAMES: 12:30 and 6:45
p.m., River Ridge Market Place, Suite
C-1, 800 Fairview Road, Asheville.
The Asheville Bridge Room provides
ACBL sanctioned duplicate bridge
games. $6 per person. Call 299-
0887 or e-mail AvlleBridge@aol.com.
CHINESE MARTIAL ARTS: Stephens-
Lee Community Center, 30 George
Washington Carver St., Asheville.
Xingyi and Goa-Style Bagua. $45 per
month. Call 350-2058.
CHOLESTEROL AND BLOOD SUGAR
SCREENINGS: Weekly on Tuesday,
Piney Mountain United Methodist
Church, Pisgah Highway, Candler.
Cholesterol and blood sugar screen-
ings and health counseling. Fasting
required beginning at midnight before
the test. Drink only clear liquids. Cost
$15. Call 667-4147.
COOK ISRAELI CUISINE: 7 p.m.,
Jewish Community Center of
Asheville, 236 Charlotte St.,
Asheville. Have fun while you learn to
make falafel, humus, tabouli and
other Israel delicacies, with Goldie
Weizman, formerly of Florida
Delicatessen “Goldie’s Kitchen.”
Space is limited. Please call to
reserve your spot. $8 JCC members,
$12 community. Call Natalie Kramer
at 253-0701 or e-mail natalie@
jcc-asheville.org.
DUAL RECOVERY GROUP MEET-
INGS: Weekly on Tuesday and
Thursday, Black Mountain
Presbyterian Church, 117 Montreat
Road, Black Mountain. Group meet-
ings for adults with chemical depend-
ency, emotional and psychiatric ill-
ness. Call 669-1688.
EATING DISORDER SUPPORT
GROUP: Weekly on Tuesday, T.H.E.
Center for Disordered Eating, 297
Haywood St., Asheville. Support group
for adolescents and families. Call
337-4685.
FITKICK: Weekly on Tuesday, 03
Health and Fitness, 554D Riverside
Drive, Asheville. Interval-based cardio
workout that improves strength,
endurance and stability. $10. Call
258-1066.
FOLK DANCING: 7:30-9:30 p.m.,
weekly on Tuesday, Harvest House,
205 Kenilworth Road, Asheville.
Asheville International Folk Dancers.
Free. Call 253-4933.
FREE RECEPTION AND FILM ABOUT
FREDERICK LAW OLMSTEAD: 5:30-
7:30 p.m., Diana Wortham Theatre, 2
S. Pack Square, Asheville. Reception
and short program to unveil new map
of parks, cultural sites and green
space developed for the Year of the
Park project. Program concludes with
screening of “Frederick Law Olmstead
and the Public Park in America.” Call
257-4530.
GUIDED GARDEN TOURS: Weekly on
Tuesday, Baker Exhibit Center, N.C.
Arboretum, 100 Frederick Law
Olmstead Way, Asheville. Informative,
guided tour of the Arboretum’s gar-
den areas, featuring spring highlights.
Call 665-2492 or visit
www.ncarboretum.org.
HEAL THY SELF: Weekly on Tuesday,
Creative Thought Center, 741 S.
Haywood St., Waynesville. Lousie
Hay’s new movie “You Can Heal Your
Life” will be viewed and discussed
along with interviews with Wayne
Dyer, Gregg Braden and others.
Suggested Love Offering $8 - No one
turned away. Call 456-9697 for more
information. Call 456-9697.
IKENOBO IKEBANA SOCIETY’S
SPRING SYMPOSIUM: 10 a.m.-2:30
p.m., Parish Hall, St. John in the
Wilderness Episcopal Church, 1895
Greenville Highway, Flat Rock. Visiting
professor from Japan, Mrs. Midori
Katoh, presents 1 and 2 Species
Shoka designs, Moribana and Free
Styles Designs. Classes include lunch
and flowers for class work. Call Carol
Mickewich at 696-0967.
From staff reports
Easley to endorse Clinton
By Gary D. Robertson
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
RALEIGH — Gov. Mike
Easley has decided to endorse
Hillary Rodham Clinton for
president, lending the sup-
port of the state’s top elected
Democrat to her underdog
effort to beat Barack Obama
in the state’s May 6 primary.
“I think it’s a tremendous
boost to the campaign, and it’s
a reaffirmation of the
momentum that we have in
the state and a reaffirmation
of Sen. Clinton’s message and
its importance ... to the people
of North Carolina,” Tom
Hendrickson, an adviser to
Clinton in North Carolina,
told The Associated Press.
Hendrickson said a formal
endorsement event was ten-
tatively scheduled for today in
Raleigh.
Easley is a Democratic
superdelegate who has served
as the state’s governor for two
terms. His decision comes
despite several polls showing
the New York senator trailing
Obama in North Carolina as
they compete for the
Democratic presidential
nomination.
Elon University Poll
Director Hunter Bacot said
the endorsement may help
move Clinton’s numbers a
few percentage points, but
will only serve to solidify
support among conservative
Democrats such as Easley.
“I think it will help her
attract the type of voters she’s
been attracting throughout
her campaign — usually the
moderate to lower-income
white vote, particularly in
more rural areas,” Bacot said.
“She’s been strong in that
demographic throughout.”
Like almost all the state’s
superdelegates, Easley had
ELISE AMENDOLA/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y.,
paid another visit to North Carolina on Monday ahead of the state’s May
6 primary. Clinton in seen here speaking at a news conference after a
campaign event Monday at the Graham Fire Department in Graham. Gov.
Mike Easley is expected to endorse Clinton today at an event in Raleigh.
Carolina to endorse Clinton, Democratic Party later aban-
while six of the state’s 17 doned the debate plans.
superdelegates have pledged On Monday, Clinton criti-
to support Obama. cized Obama day for oppos-
While he is not a superdel- ing proposals to suspend fed-
egate, Edwards remains the eral gas taxes this summer, a
biggest prize among North plan she and Republican John
Carolina Democrats, Bacot McCain have endorsed.
said. Since leaving the race in Obama didn’t take the bait. He
January, Edwards has ignored Clinton and focused
remained silent on which of on McCain.
his two formal rivals he plans “My opponent, Sen.
to support. Obama, opposes giving con-
A former state attorney sumers a break from the gas
general, Easley has focused tax,” Clinton said at a fire-
largely on education pro- house in Graham. “I under-
grams during his eight-year stand the American people
tenure. He’s called on both of need some relief,” she added,
the presidential candidates to implying that Obama doesn’t
talk more about he issue. get it.
“Gov. Easley understands Obama has said motorists
that education and a good would not benefit significant-
economy are intertwined, and ly from suspending the gas
he understands that more tax.
than anyone else in the coun- “This is his solution to the
try,” Hendrickson said. problems of the energy crisis
Two week ago, Easley and your gas bills,” Obama
wrote a note to Obama told several thousand at a
imploring the Illinois senator noisy rally in Wilmington.

OBITUARIES initially supported former

North Carolina Sen. John
Edwards during his second
bid for the White House. He
becomes just the second
superdelegate from North
to take part in a debate that
would have taken place
Sunday in Raleigh.
Obama declined, saying he
wasn’t sure it would fit with
his schedule, and the state
“Keep in mind that the feder-
al gas tax is about 5 percent of
your gas bill. If it lasts for
three months, you’re going to
save about $25 or $30, or a half
a tank of gas.”

HRMC: Inspections found problems

with administration of medications
Continued from B1
KEY FINDINGS
ensure systems were in place
for the safe delivery of med- Among the findings of the report ■ Four of the seven nurses who had
ication to patients.” were: received no education had already
The initial inspection that ■ Problems with medication admin- administered medication on Feb. 22.
placed the hospital on “imme- istration, infection control, respiratory ■ 11 of 28 nurses interviewed said
diate jeopardy” status also care services, nursing and pharma- they had not been observed passing
ceutical services, executive responsi- medications and no staff were
cited problems with medica- observed monitoring medication
tion administration, including bility, quality assurance and perform-
ance improvement, reporting compli- administration, one of the corrective
problems with administration actions the hospital said it imple-
cations, operating room policies,
of Xigris. In that case, a 37- mented.
facilities, supplies and equipment
year-old woman also failed to maintenance, and patient’s rights ■ Medication administration errors
get the full regimen of the including the hospital’s restraint poli- were noted in one of seven medica-
medicine. cy and patient grievances. tion passes observed.
After the initial finding of ■ Seven of 28 nurses interviewed ■ Investigators also cited the hospi-
“immediate jeopardy,” the stated they had received no medica- tal for failing to have a written agree-
hospital submitted a correc- tion administration education on Feb. ment between Haywood Regional and
tive action plan, and inspec- 21 or Feb. 22. consultants from Mission Hospitals.
tors returned to the hospital
Feb. 19.
After problems were found
to have not been adequately
addressed, the hospital
amended its plan Feb. 21 and
Feb. 22 to remove Xigris from
the hospital’s formulary,
increase monitoring of med-
ication errors and provide
additional education on med-
ication administration.
Despite these efforts,
inspectors continued to find
problems at the hospital.
After the Feb. 24 survey,
inspectors upheld their origi-
nal finding of “immediate
jeopardy” and ultimately
withdrew Medicare and
Medicaid funding at the hos-
pital.

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