Bishop Drumm Retirement Center Blood Sugar Alert Fail IA
JOHNSTON, IA - State health inspectors found that Bishop Drumm Retirement Center staff failed to notify medical providers when a diabetic resident's blood sugar reached dangerous levels exceeding 400, waiting days before seeking medical intervention despite facility protocols requiring immediate physician notification for such critical readings.
Critical Delays in Medical Communication
The inspection, conducted on May 29, 2025, revealed that Resident #2, who is under the care of a local hospital's residency group, experienced blood sugar levels above 400 without staff alerting any medical provider. The facility's Director of Nursing acknowledged during the investigation that she would expect staff to notify a provider anytime a resident's blood sugar exceeds 400, with some staff taking action at levels around 350.
Review of progress notes confirmed that no provider notification occurred prior to April 17, 2025, despite the resident experiencing dangerously elevated glucose levels before that date. This delay in medical communication potentially exposed the resident to serious diabetic complications.
Medical Director Confirms Protocol Breach
The facility's Medical Director emphasized the severity of the communication breakdown when interviewed by inspectors. He stated that while Resident #2 is primarily followed by the Hospital Residency Group, staff should contact either that group or himself whenever resident safety concerns arise.
"If there is a concern for the safety of any resident, he would want the staff to call himself or whoever is on call for him," the inspection report noted. The Medical Director indicated that in this case, he would have immediately contacted the Residency Group to ensure the resident received appropriate care.
Understanding the Medical Risks
Blood sugar levels exceeding 400 mg/dL represent a medical emergency requiring immediate intervention. At these levels, residents face increased risk of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a life-threatening condition where the body produces excess blood acids. Without prompt treatment, high blood sugar can lead to severe dehydration, confusion, loss of consciousness, and potentially diabetic coma.
Standard medical protocols dictate that blood glucose readings above 400 require immediate physician notification to adjust insulin dosing, evaluate for underlying infections or illness, and potentially initiate emergency treatment. The delay in notifying providers meant Resident #2 went without crucial medical adjustments during a period of dangerously uncontrolled diabetes.
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.
Editorial process: Inspection findings are extracted from CMS source documents and synthesized using AI, reviewed for factual accuracy against the original report by our editorial team.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: September 19, 2026 · Our methodology
Bishop Drumm Retirement Center in Johnston, IA was cited for violations during a health inspection on May 29, 2025.
This delay in medical communication potentially exposed the resident to serious diabetic complications.
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.