The results of a survey inspection by the the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services caused a unit of Good Shepherd Medical Center to be shut down Friday at the downtown Longview hospital.

"During the course of their survey, we identified areas for improvement within our Hemodialysis Unit and have temporarily halted dialysis service while those items are addressed," Steve Altmiller, president and CEO of Good Shepherd Health System, said in a statement.

Asked the nature of the areas of improvement needed to continue dialysis treatment, the medical center responded, "primarily related to policies and processes."

"We are deeply appreciative of our neighboring hospitals for working collaboratively and quickly to accept those patients in need of dialysis," Altmiller said. "Providing the best possible care to our patients always comes first, and we are diligently working to restore dialysis service as soon as possible."

Other area hospitals were contacted soon after the notice of the shutdown. Seven patients were transferred to Good Shepherd Medical Center in Marshall, Longview Regional Medical Center and East Texas Medical Center.

The unit shutdown affects only patients at the center who needed dialysis in addition to other care, as Good Shepherd doesn't provide outpatient dialysis services.

In his weekly "Message from the CEO" to staff and others associated with the hospital, Altmiller shared information about the situation, which he said stemmed from the first "full survey of this nature in 20 years."

"We have found that there are areas requiring improvement, processes that need to be restructured and follow-up loops that must be closed," he wrote Friday evening. "One area that we had to address quickly was our Dialysis Unit. We received Board of Director and Medical Executive Committee approval to discontinue services in this area until Davita is able to assume operations, which will occur no later than July 11."

Also Friday, the hospital's emergency room diverted patients to Longview Regional Medical Center. Usually, diversions happen when there is a high number of people visiting the emergency room needing care, according to the medical center.

...