ANCHORAGE, AK — Federal health inspectors identified five deficiencies at Centennial Post Acute during a complaint investigation completed on August 29, 2025, including a citation for failing to maintain an adequate infection prevention and control program.
Complaint Investigation Reveals Infection Prevention Gaps
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) cited Centennial Post Acute under regulatory tag F0880, which requires skilled nursing facilities to provide and implement a comprehensive infection prevention and control program. The citation was classified as Scope/Severity Level D, indicating an isolated incident with no documented actual harm but with the potential for more than minimal harm to residents.
Infection prevention and control programs are foundational to safe nursing home operations. These programs are required to include protocols for hand hygiene, proper use of personal protective equipment, environmental cleaning, surveillance of infections among residents and staff, and antibiotic stewardship. When facilities fail to fully implement these programs, residents face increased exposure to bacterial, viral, and fungal pathogens that can lead to serious and potentially life-threatening infections.
The citation was one of five total deficiencies identified during the inspection, which was prompted by a formal complaint rather than a routine survey. Complaint-driven investigations are initiated when concerns are raised — often by residents, family members, or staff — about potential care or safety issues within a facility.
Why Infection Control Is Critical in Long-Term Care
Nursing home residents are among the most vulnerable populations when it comes to infectious disease. Many residents are elderly, immunocompromised, or managing chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, or respiratory illness. These factors significantly reduce the body's ability to fight off infection.
Common healthcare-associated infections in nursing facilities include urinary tract infections, pneumonia, skin and soft tissue infections, and gastrointestinal illnesses. According to federal data, infections are a leading cause of hospitalization and death among nursing home residents nationwide. Proper infection control programs are designed to minimize the transmission of pathogens within a facility through systematic prevention measures.
An effective infection prevention program typically includes regular staff training, monitoring of infection rates, isolation protocols for contagious residents, proper wound care procedures, and rigorous environmental sanitation standards. When any component of this system breaks down, the risk of outbreak increases substantially.
Federal Standards and Facility Requirements
Under 42 CFR § 483.80, all Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing facilities are required to establish and maintain an infection prevention and control program. This regulation mandates that facilities designate an infection preventionist — a trained professional responsible for overseeing the program — and that the program be designed to help prevent the development and transmission of communicable diseases and infections.
The regulation also requires facilities to maintain written standards, policies, and procedures for infection control, and to document adherence through ongoing surveillance. Facilities that fall short of these requirements may face citations, mandatory corrective action plans, and potential financial penalties.
Correction Timeline and Current Status
Centennial Post Acute reported that it corrected the cited deficiency as of October 3, 2025, approximately five weeks after the inspection. The facility's status is listed as "deficient, provider has date of correction," meaning the facility has acknowledged the issue and reported taking steps to address it.
It is important to note that a reported correction date does not necessarily mean the issue has been verified as resolved by federal inspectors. CMS may conduct follow-up surveys to confirm that corrective measures have been properly implemented and sustained.
Broader Context
The complaint investigation at Centennial Post Acute reflects ongoing federal oversight of infection control practices in skilled nursing facilities. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, CMS has placed heightened emphasis on infection prevention in long-term care settings, increasing scrutiny and enforcement related to F0880 citations.
Families and advocates seeking more detailed information about the specific deficiencies identified at Centennial Post Acute can review the full inspection report through the CMS Care Compare database or request records directly from the Alaska Department of Health.
For the complete inspection findings and facility history, readers can visit the [full facility report on NursingHomeNews.org](/facility/centennial-post-acute-anchorage-ak).
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Centennial Post Acute from 2025-08-29 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
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