PresNow, a 24/7 urgent and emergency care provider in Albuquerque, is facing penalties for workplace safety violations after state inspectors reportedly found multiple serious health violations that put employees at risk.
The New Mexico Environment Department’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau recently issued three citations to PresNow’s Paseo del Norte location for serious violations.
Regulators said the facility failed to properly manage hazardous pharmaceutical waste. Inspectors found at least one pharmaceutical hazardous waste bin that was filled over capacity. Inside, the inspectors found vials that still contained hazardous waste, exposing employees to a serious health threat.
Sharp containers were reportedly overfilled, leaving workers in danger of being stuck by exposed needles. And regulatory agents even found blood on multiple surfaces, including sharp enclosures, exposing workers to potential viruses and diseases.
The violations carry a combined proposed penalty of $26,817.
PresNow operates four clinics in Albuquerque. The facilities are designed to provide both urgent care and emergency care services in the same place. The clinics were launched in 2019 through a partnership between Presbyterian Healthcare Services and Intuitive Health, a company that develops combined urgent and emergency care centers across the nation.
