MOSES LAKE - Samaritan Healthcare corrected deficiencies found by Washington state Department of Health (DOH) surveyors.

The DOH conducted surveys at Samaritan between Dec. 11, 2011 and Jan. 25, 2012.

During the initial survey in December, DOH surveyors found several deficiencies.

A follow-up survey Tuesday showed the hospital met all the requirements stipulated in the DOH's statement of deficiencies and is now in compliance with state regulations, said DOH Spokesman Donn Moyer.

"It's common place that they come in and they find deficiencies," said Samaritan CEO Andrew Bair. "That happens in every hospital across the state ... We've been working to address those deficiencies and right now we're in good standing with the state."

During a follow-up survey on Jan. 24, the DOH found the hospital failed to follow standards of care in the administration and maintenance of anesthesia medication. The deficiencies threatened the hospital's Medicaid certification, but the hospital has since rectified the deficiencies and its Medicaid certification is safe, said Bair.

Deficiencies observed by DOH surveyors included anesthetists failing to properly label syringes filled with medication, working without physician supervision, checking out medications for one patient under another patient's name and failing to swab medication vials with alcohol.

"I would say that anesthesia got tagged for some deficiencies around administrative policy and those kinds of things," said Bair.

The hospital immediately contracted with Premier Anesthesia, a Georgia company with an office in Richland, he said.

"They've been here and they've helped us clean up our policies and get everything in place," said Bair. "The Department of Health has been back and they've cleared us of all those concerns that they had."

The deficiencies found by the DOH didn't result in any harm to patients, said Bair.

"We're very interested in continuing to provide the highest level of patient care and safety and quality remains one of our overriding objectives here. That's always paramount," he said.

"Over periods of time, standards change and it's incumbent on practitioners everywhere to stay current with what is standard and so sometimes that standard changes and the practitioners may not be aware," he added. "As a clinical person it's always our responsibility to make sure we're up to date, but sometimes that can happen."