Loyalhanna Care Center: Lab Orders Missed for Months - PA
The resident, identified in inspection records only as Resident 53, was on dialysis and taking levetiracetam, a medication used to prevent seizures. Physician orders dating to August and September 2021 required staff at Loyalhanna Care Center to draw blood every three months, a panel that included a complete blood count, a complete metabolic panel, a hemoglobin A1C, a lipid panel, and a levetiracetam level. That last test measures how much of the seizure drug is actually circulating in the patient's bloodstream.
The tests stopped after August 2024. Nobody ordered them. Nobody flagged the gap. Nobody drew the blood.
When inspectors reviewed the clinical records during their March 19 visit, there was nothing. No lab results. No documentation that staff had attempted to schedule the draws. No indication anyone had noticed the orders were going unfulfilled.
The Director of Nursing, interviewed that afternoon at 1:28 p.m., confirmed it directly. There was no evidence, she told inspectors, that Resident 53's laboratory studies had been obtained as ordered every three months after August 2024.
That confirmation matters because of what those tests were tracking. Levetiracetam levels tell a physician whether a patient is receiving enough medication to control seizures, or too much. For a resident already on dialysis, the kidneys are not functioning normally, which affects how the body processes and clears drugs. A metabolic panel and blood count help catch complications that dialysis patients face at elevated rates, including dangerous shifts in electrolytes, anemia, and infection. The hemoglobin A1C tracks blood sugar trends over two to three months.
A December 2024 quarterly assessment noted that Resident 53 was cognitively intact, meaning the resident was aware of their surroundings and capable of understanding their care. The assessment confirmed the dialysis, the anticonvulsant, and the diagnoses of seizures and kidney failure.
The facility's own laboratory policy, updated as recently as January 13, 2025, stated that Loyalhanna would obtain laboratory services when ordered by a physician, in accordance with state law, to meet the needs of its residents. The policy was current. The orders were active. The tests were not done.
Inspectors cited the facility under Pennsylvania nursing services regulations.
The inspection covered 36 residents. Resident 53 was the only one identified with this deficiency. CMS classified the harm level as minimal or potential for actual harm, the lower end of the federal scale, though that designation reflects the agency's assessment at the time of inspection, not a determination that nothing could have gone wrong during the months the labs were skipped.
Loyalhanna Care Center sits on McFarland Road in Latrobe, a small city about 40 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. The inspection was completed March 20, 2025.
For a resident managing both seizures and kidney failure, the standing lab orders existed for a reason. Six months without a levetiracetam level means six months without knowing whether the medication was doing its job.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Loyalhanna Care Center from 2025-03-20 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Additional Resources
Data source: This article is based on inspection data downloaded directly from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) via Medicare.gov. CMS releases inspection reports in bulk; we publish the findings as documented by state surveyors in the official Form CMS-2567 Statement of Deficiencies.
Plan of correction: The CMS report we receive does not include the facility's plan of correction. Facilities submit plans of correction separately to state survey agencies and those responses may not be reflected in CMS data at the time of publication. The absence of a plan of correction in our data does not mean one was not filed. Readers who want information about corrective steps taken are encouraged to contact the facility directly or their state survey agency.
Corrections may have occurred: Inspection reports reflect conditions observed on the date of the survey. Facilities may have implemented corrections, staffing changes, additional training, or other remediation since the report was issued. We report what CMS provides and encourage readers to seek current information from the facility.
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Last verified: November 3, 2026 · Our methodology
LOYALHANNA CARE CENTER in LATROBE, PA was cited for violations during a health inspection on March 20, 2025.
The resident, identified in inspection records only as Resident 53, was on dialysis and taking levetiracetam, a medication used to prevent seizures.
Health inspections identify deficiencies that facilities must correct. Violations range from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns. Review the full report below for specific details and facility response.