PERFECT! TWICE AS NICE.

PERFECT! TWICE AS NICE. Rarely do you “capture lightning in a bottle.” But, twice in one year, that’s quite an accomplishment.

2012 is a banner year for Eskaton’s survey results. Eskaton Village Carmichael Care Center earned a “zero-deficiency” perfect score in its just concluded State Licensing Survey by the California Department of Public Health. And Eskaton’s Adult Day Healthcare program also earned a perfect score on its Medi-Cal Certification Renewal.

“Eskaton’s expectation is always zero-deficiencies,” according to COO Betsy Donovan, “still the rarity of this occurring with the incredibly complex process makes such a score quite an accomplishment.”

For skilled nursing, Title 22 regulations govern the operation of all facilities. The stringent annual surveys focus on administration, care policies, quality assurance and environmental status.

For adult day healthcare -- referred to as Community Based Adult Services -- the state’s Certification Renewal Survey determines compliance with Medi-Cal certification requirements and is conducted at minimum once every two years by the California Department of Aging.

The extensive ADHC survey includes chart reviews for compliance with requirements of care and documentation; interviews with program participants and staff; review of required therapy; review of dietary services; and review of psychologist and pharmacist hours and documentation. Billing records are compared to chart records for accuracy. Staffing patterns, personnel records and licenses; and training requirements are checked. Transportation records and facility safety are scrutinized as well. In other words, the survey is very thorough. “They can check hundreds of things in one chart alone,” explains program director Jill Yungling.

“We do not spend a lot of time preparing for surveys,” Yungling noted. “The culture at the center is to do it right the first time. The staff does a really nice job of balancing their time with the participants and also getting the huge amount of documentation done accurately. It takes everyone doing their part to achieve this great outcome.”

Eskaton also earned a perfect score for the 2010 survey of Eskaton Care Center Fair Oaks. The surveyor at that time said, according to administrator Stephen Fife, that the “Golden Survey” was the first deficiency free survey she had issued in her nine years in the position.

By no means to minimize Eskaton’s accomplishment, but Major League Baseball recorded three perfect games during the 2012 season. This trilogy brings the total number of such extraordinary feats to just 23 in the 132 history of baseball.

In baseball, there are 27 opportunities (batters and outs to be recorded) per game for something to go awry and muck with perfection. In surveys for skilled nursing and adult day healthcare, there are several hundred challenges to perfection. Clearly, both accomplishments deserve to be celebrated.