North Mountain Medical: Infection Control Gaps - AZ
North Mountain Medical and Rehabilitation Center administered Permethrin cream to Resident #186 on September 5, 2025, following physician orders for "atypical rash prophylaxis" and contact isolation. The same day, however, a nurse practitioner's progress note stated the resident had "no rash, pruritus, or abrasions."
The documentation discrepancies span weeks. Daily skilled nursing notes from August 31 through September 5 consistently recorded that the resident's skin was "warm" with "no active symptoms affecting the integumentary system observed." A September 2 weekly skin evaluation found "no new skin issues noted."
Yet on September 5, physicians ordered immediate treatment protocols typically reserved for confirmed or suspected scabies cases. The orders included contact and droplet isolation "every shift for 1 day" and topical Permethrin cream applied "neck to toes" at bedtime.
Permethrin is a prescription medication specifically used to treat scabies infestations. The 5% cream formulation ordered for this resident represents the standard treatment concentration for the parasitic skin condition.
Medication administration records show staff prepared the resident for treatment by providing a shower before the cream application. A pharmacy delivered the medication the same day, and nursing staff documented its administration on September 5.
The resident remained under "change of condition monitoring for atypical rash" for multiple days following treatment. September 6 medication notes indicated staff continued monitoring protocols and scheduled another shower for the resident.
Federal inspectors found these contradictory records during their November complaint investigation. The inspection report notes that while treatment orders specifically referenced "atypical rash prophylaxis," concurrent nursing assessments documented no visible skin problems.
Medical records show Resident #186 had intact cognitive function, scoring 13 on the Brief Interview for Mental Status assessment, indicating the person could have reported symptoms if present. The resident's care plan acknowledged a "potential to develop infection related to complex medical conditions" but included no specific dermatological concerns.
The facility's admission assessment coded that the resident had "no open lesions other than ulcers, rashes, or cuts." Subsequent nurse practitioner evaluations on August 29 consistently found skin that was "warm and dry" with no visible abnormalities.
Documentation from August 20 through September 1 maintains this pattern. Daily notes repeatedly state "no active symptoms affecting the integumentary system observed" and specifically note the absence of rashes alongside routine observations about surgical wound healing.
The timing of treatment orders raises questions about what prompted the sudden shift to scabies protocols. Records show no interim assessments or examinations that identified new skin conditions between the September 1 documentation of normal skin and the September 5 treatment orders.
Staff continued isolation monitoring through September 6, with medication administration notes tracking the resident's response to treatment and scheduling follow-up care procedures.
The inspection classified this violation under federal regulations governing resident assessment and care planning accuracy. Inspectors determined the documentation failures represented "minimal harm or potential for actual harm" affecting "some" residents at the facility.
North Mountain Medical's contradictory records create gaps in the resident's medical history that could affect future care decisions. The discrepancy between documented skin assessments and prescribed treatments suggests either inadequate examination protocols or incomplete record-keeping practices.
The September 5 late-entry progress note, written after treatment orders were issued, maintained that the resident showed no signs of skin problems despite the concurrent scabies treatment regimen.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for North Mountain Medical and Rehabilitation Center from 2025-11-25 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 19, 2026 · Our methodology
NORTH MOUNTAIN MEDICAL AND REHABILITATION CENTER in PHOENIX, AZ was cited for violations during a health inspection on November 25, 2025.
The orders included contact and droplet isolation "every shift for 1 day" and topical Permethrin cream applied "neck to toes" at bedtime.
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.