[4alabama] Two Alabama nursing homes on government's "worst" list

[Judy R. Roy]

By DESIREE HUNTER
Associated Press Writer
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Two Alabama nursing homes have been singled out by the
government as being among the worst in the country, but one has been making
steady progress while the other has lagged, a state health official said
Thursday.

Woodley Manor Health & Rehabilitation in Montgomery and Eastview Health Care
Center in Birmingham are among 54 on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services' list of underperforming homes.

The homes are among more than 120 that have been labeled as a "special focus
facility," in a federal program involving more oversight and are inspected
more frequently - twice a year instead of annually - and their funding is
linked to improved care.

Rick Harris, director of the state's Bureau of Health Provider Standards,
said the program has been going on since 1999, but this is the first time
the homes on the list have been released publicly.

Getting off a list that all can see is a good incentive for administrators
to get things right, he said.

"That's the hope," Harris said Thursday. "The program has really evolved,"
he said, adding that in the early years homes weren't told they had been
enrolled in the program but they often figured it out when they started
getting inspected more frequently.

Woodley Manor was inspected in May and received a 27-page statement of
deficiencies including problems with how often residents are assessed and
the availability of rehabilitation services.

Eastview's inspection in September resulted in a 57-page report that listed
infractions including proper nutrition and treatment for patients.

Messages left for administrators at both homes were not returned Thursday.

Harris said Woodley Manor showed positive developments in its last
inspection, but they're not in the clear yet.

"Woodley Manor had a survey in September and they did not have any serious
findings, so they appear to have improved," he said. "I think to come out
from this program they would have to have a second survey that's equally
good."

But he said it's a different story at Eastview, and the problems there don't
seem to be getting better.

"We actually entered into a consent agreement with Eastview," Harris said.
"If they were to have another survey identifying problems of that level, we
would be taking adverse licensure action."

The CMS gives health officials in each state a list of homes that have been
spotlighted for increased scrutiny based on reviews, and the states pick
which should be designated as the worst offenders. The number of homes per
state varies based on population.

So far all but one of the Alabama homes that have been singled out have made
the necessary improvements and eventually graduated out of the program.

Pleasant Grove Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Birmingham stopped
receiving Medicaid and Medicare funding earlier this year because it failed
to improve services within 18 months.

"I like this program because it's very consistent with our philosophy in
Alabama when we run across chronically troubled providers," Harris said.
"They have a finite amount of time to fix problems."
National Nursing Home Watch List http://memberofthefamily.net/usmap.htm
Judy R. Roy
Independent Living Resources of Greater Birmingham
206  13th Street S.
Birmingham, AL  35233-1317
Phone  205.251.2223  ext 102
Email  bhamilc1 at bellsouth.net
There are only four kinds of people in the world: those who have been
caregivers; those who are currently caregivers; those who will be
caregivers; those who will need caregivers. - Rosalynn Carter
-------------- next part --------------
By DESIREE HUNTER
Associated Press Writer
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Two Alabama nursing homes have been singled out by the government as being among the worst in the country, but one has been making steady progress while the other has lagged, a state health official said Thursday.
Woodley Manor Health & Rehabilitation in Montgomery and Eastview Health Care Center in Birmingham are among 54 on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' list of underperforming homes.
The homes are among more than 120 that have been labeled as a "special focus facility," in a federal program involving more oversight and are inspected more frequently - twice a year instead of annually - and their funding is linked to improved care.
Rick Harris, director of the state's Bureau of Health Provider Standards, said the program has been going on since 1999, but this is the first time the homes on the list have been released publicly.
Getting off a list that all can see is a good incentive for administrators to get things right, he said.
"That's the hope," Harris said Thursday. "The program has really evolved," he said, adding that in the early years homes weren't told they had been enrolled in the program but they often figured it out when they started getting inspected more frequently.
Woodley Manor was inspected in May and received a 27-page statement of deficiencies including problems with how often residents are assessed and the availability of rehabilitation services.
Eastview's inspection in September resulted in a 57-page report that listed infractions including proper nutrition and treatment for patients.
Messages left for administrators at both homes were not returned Thursday.
Harris said Woodley Manor showed positive developments in its last inspection, but they're not in the clear yet.
"Woodley Manor had a survey in September and they did not have any serious findings, so they appear to have improved," he said. "I think to come out from this program they would have to have a second survey that's equally good."
But he said it's a different story at Eastview, and the problems there don't seem to be getting better.
"We actually entered into a consent agreement with Eastview," Harris said. "If they were to have another survey identifying problems of that level, we would be taking adverse licensure action."
The CMS gives health officials in each state a list of homes that have been spotlighted for increased scrutiny based on reviews, and the states pick which should be designated as the worst offenders. The number of homes per state varies based on population.
So far all but one of the Alabama homes that have been singled out have made the necessary improvements and eventually graduated out of the program.
Pleasant Grove Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Birmingham stopped receiving Medicaid and Medicare funding earlier this year because it failed to improve services within 18 months.
"I like this program because it's very consistent with our philosophy in Alabama when we run across chronically troubled providers," Harris said. "They have a finite amount of time to fix problems." 
National Nursing Home Watch List
http://memberofthefamily.net/usmap.htm
http://memberofthefamily.net/usmap.htm
 
Judy R. Roy
Independent Living Resources of Greater Birmingham
206  13th Street S.
Birmingham, AL  35233-1317
Phone  205.251.2223  ext 102
Email  bhamilc1 at bellsouth.net
There are only four kinds of people in the world: those who have been caregivers; those who are currently caregivers; those who will be caregivers; those who will need caregivers. - Rosalynn Carter