Civita Care Center: Critical Lab Results Delayed - CT
The problems unfolded over three days in August at Civita Care Center at Newington, where communication breakdowns left physicians unaware of both delayed testing and abnormal results that required immediate attention.
On August 8, an advanced practice registered nurse ordered STAT blood work for Resident #4. The facility's director of nursing services told inspectors that physicians and nurse practitioners know STAT lab work isn't done after noon. If the nurse practitioner wanted it done immediately, the resident could have been sent to the hospital.
Nobody told the nurse practitioner the blood work wasn't obtained as ordered.
The blood was eventually drawn, and results came back on August 10 showing critical values. A registered nurse received the results but never called the hospital to report them, according to the director of nursing services interviewed on August 28.
The facility's own policies required immediate action. The Clinical Protocol for Labs and Diagnostic Testing Policy states nurses must identify the urgency of communicating with physicians based on the doctor's request, the seriousness of any abnormality, and the individual's current condition.
The Lab and Diagnostic Test Results Policy goes further, directing that clinically significant test results will be reviewed and acted upon appropriately and in a timely manner.
But inspectors found no evidence staff notified the nurse practitioner about either the delayed STAT blood work on August 8 or the critical results that arrived two days later.
The director of nursing services acknowledged during the interview that the registered nurse should have called the hospital to report the critical lab results received on August 10. When pressed by inspectors, she couldn't explain why the nurse practitioner was never notified about the initial delay.
The facility's Change in Condition Policy requires staff to promptly notify residents, their attending physicians, and resident representatives of changes in medical condition. The policy defines a significant change as a major decline in the resident's status that will not normally resolve itself without intervention.
Critical lab values typically signal exactly this type of medical situation requiring immediate physician attention and potential intervention.
The inspection identified multiple communication failures across three days. First, when the STAT blood work couldn't be completed on August 8 as ordered, no one informed the nurse practitioner who had requested urgent testing. Second, when critical results finally arrived on August 10, the nurse who received them failed to follow protocol and notify the hospital.
These breakdowns left the resident's medical team operating without crucial information about both the testing delays and the abnormal results that eventually materialized.
The facility's policies acknowledge that nurses must assess the urgency of communicating with physicians and identify situations warranting immediate notification. But the August incident showed a gap between written protocols and actual practice.
Federal inspectors classified the violation as causing minimal harm or potential for actual harm, affecting few residents. The inspection was conducted in response to a complaint filed against the facility.
The 240 Church Street facility now faces federal scrutiny over its laboratory communication procedures and whether staff understand their obligations to keep physicians informed of critical medical information.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Civita Care Center At Newington from 2025-08-28 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
CIVITA CARE CENTER AT NEWINGTON in NEWINGTON, CT was cited for violations during a health inspection on August 28, 2025.
On August 8, an advanced practice registered nurse ordered STAT blood work for Resident #4.
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.