Medilodge of GTC: Post-Surgery Follow-Up Failure - MI
The resident had been recovering from abdominal surgery. By day 13 of their stay, the skin had begun healing around the staples, and the resident was reporting an urge to scratch the site. A nurse practitioner documented both observations on October 6. That same note flagged that the patient still needed a post-op follow-up visit and staple removal. The discharge was planned for later that afternoon.
There is no record in the inspection report that the facility arranged either.
The citation, tagged F0627 and rated as causing actual harm, was issued following a complaint inspection completed October 24, 2025. Inspectors reviewed the clinical notes and then sat down with the Nursing Home Administrator, who told them directly that the facility is expected to coordinate and schedule all follow-up appointments for residents. The administrator said this as a matter of standard practice, not as an acknowledgment that anything had gone wrong.
The nurse practitioner's notes tell a different story. On October 4, the wound was documented as a midline abdominal incision still bearing staples, with healing skin closing around the hardware. Two days later, on October 6, the same practitioner returned to note the discharge plan and flag the unresolved need for follow-up and removal. The note was written at 9:32 in the evening. The discharge was already underway.
Surgical staples left in place beyond the appropriate removal window carry real consequences. Skin growing over staples complicates removal and increases infection risk. The resident's reported urge to scratch the site, noted in the clinical record, signals discomfort at minimum and potential disruption of a healing wound if left unaddressed.
Whether the facility ultimately arranged the follow-up before or after discharge, or whether it was arranged at all, is not addressed in the inspection report. What the record shows is that on the day of discharge, a clinician documented that the need remained open, and inspectors found sufficient cause to cite actual harm.
Medilodge of GTC is located at 2950 Lafranier Road in Traverse City. The facility's own transfer and discharge policy, revised in October 2023, states that residents are permitted to remain until it is appropriate for them to leave, with health and safety as the governing concern.
The inspection was a complaint survey, meaning someone flagged this situation to regulators before inspectors arrived. The report does not identify who filed the complaint.
The resident recovered from abdominal surgery inside a facility that, by its administrator's own account, was responsible for making sure the surgical follow-up happened. The staples were still in. The appointment was not made. The discharge went forward anyway.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Medilodge of Gtc from 2025-10-24 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.
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 6, 2026 · Our methodology
Medilodge of GTC in Traverse City, MI was cited for violations during a health inspection on October 24, 2025.
The resident had been recovering from abdominal surgery.
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.