Community Health Services in Hartford, Conn., has been cited for numerous infection control problems including inadequate handling of patients who arrive with a cough, fever or rash; unsanitary conditions; and poor sterilization procedures, according to an article on the Hartford Courant website.

A copy of the health center's remediation plan indicates that in recent site inspections, the Department of Public Health (DPH) noted that clean and soiled rooms in some areas of the clinic were "contiguous," that staff members did not know the location of infection-control masks, that training was deficient in certain areas, that sterilization procedures were subpar and that front-desk policies and the layout of the lobby were insufficient to deal with patients who came in with a cough, rash or fever, according to the article.

The health center's executive director, Gregory Stanton, said that a series of improvements had been made since the DPH inspected the center in late August. 

The "action steps" included identifying and labeling clean and dirty rooms, reviewing physical spaces in all departments to ensure proper separation and clear markings and conducting training for Women's Health staff.

Read the article.