Laurels of Gahanna: UTI Testing Delays - OH
The resident, identified as #38 in inspection records, reported flank pain on July 22 or 23. Staff suspected constipation and ordered a kidney, ureter, and bladder x-ray along with polyethylene glycol for bowel issues.
The x-ray results on July 23 showed a nonobstructive bowel gas pattern. No constipation.
Then nothing happened for five days.
Medical records from July 24 through July 27 contain no mention of the resident's continuing left-sided pain. No physician notes. No nursing assessments. No follow-up plans documented anywhere.
On July 28, a doctor finally ordered a urinary analysis with culture and sensitivity testing for a possible urinary tract infection.
But the lab work created its own confusion. The first urine culture, collected July 29 and reported August 1, showed no bacteria present. Yet the report still indicated what bacteria would be sensitive to — despite finding none.
Progress notes from July 28 through August 9 make no mention of the UTI investigation.
A second urine culture on August 5, reported two days later, came back abnormal with bacteria present. The lab noted the bacteria was sensitive to specific medications but failed to identify what type of bacteria they had found.
Finally, on August 6, lab results revealed the resident had Escherichia coli in her urine.
The nurse practitioner's note from August 8 shows the resident was prescribed ciprofloxacin for the urinary tract infection. By then, the practitioner suspected the flank pain was "more musculoskeletal in nature."
Two weeks had passed since the resident first complained of pain.
The Director of Nursing admitted during an August 11 interview that no one documented notifying physicians about any of the test results. She confirmed there was no record of doctors being told about the negative x-ray on July 23. No documentation of medical staff receiving the confusing lab reports that followed.
"There was no documentation of the physician or nurse practitioner's plans after the negative KUB results," the DON told inspectors.
The five-day gap between the negative constipation diagnosis and the UTI testing order particularly troubled inspectors. During that period, the resident continued experiencing pain while staff made no documented efforts to investigate alternative causes.
The DON couldn't explain what happened with the laboratory testing that produced contradictory results. The first culture showed no bacteria but included sensitivity information anyway. The second found bacteria but didn't identify the type.
These communication breakdowns meant physicians were making treatment decisions without complete information. The resident's pain persisted through multiple rounds of testing, yet medical records show no systematic approach to addressing her symptoms.
Federal inspectors found the facility failed to ensure physicians received timely notification of diagnostic test results. They also cited inadequate follow-up care when initial treatments proved ineffective.
The case emerged from two separate complaints filed against the facility, numbered 2580593 and 2574352. Inspectors determined the delayed care represented a pattern of poor clinical communication that could cause minimal harm or create potential for actual harm to residents.
The resident eventually received antibiotic treatment for her E. coli infection. But the two-week delay in proper diagnosis left her suffering with untreated symptoms while staff failed to coordinate her care effectively.
Medical records show no indication whether the resident's flank pain resolved after antibiotic treatment or if the "musculoskeletal" theory proved correct. The inspection focused on the facility's failure to investigate her symptoms promptly rather than the ultimate medical outcome.
The Laurels of Gahanna must now submit a plan of correction addressing how they will ensure timely physician notification of test results and proper follow-up when initial diagnoses prove incorrect.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for The Laurels of Gahanna from 2025-08-20 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Additional Resources
Data source: Official federal inspection data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Editorial process: AI-synthesized regulatory data, reviewed for accuracy by our editorial team.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: June 20, 2026 · Our methodology
THE LAURELS OF GAHANNA in COLUMBUS, OH was cited for violations during a health inspection on August 20, 2025.
The resident, identified as #38 in inspection records, reported flank pain on July 22 or 23.
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.