Two Nursing Homes Object of “Special Focus"
November 29, 2007—Denver—Two out of approximately
200 nursing homes in Colorado were
identified by state health officials as “special focus
facilities”
in an effort with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS)
to improve the quality of patient care at the facilities.
“It is our desire that every citizen in need of a nursing
home
facility would have access to safe, reliable care,” said
Colorado
Chief Medical Officer Ned Calonge, with the Colorado
Department of
Public Health and Environment. “Nothing is more important in
nursing
homes than the proper treatment of their residents. Applying
a
‘special focus’ designation to certain nursing homes is one
of
the ways we work to demand continuous improvement at a
facility.” The Health Facilities and Emergency Medical
Services Division at the
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment had
designated
Eagle Ridge in Grand Junction and Kindred Healthcare and
Rehab Center of
Northglenn as the state’s two “special focus” facilities.
“These two facilities were identified to CMS due to their
history of
compliance issues,” said Howard Roitman, director of the
department’s Health Facilities Division. “Facilities
identified
as ‘special focus’ must show significant improvement over a
three-year period or they can be terminated from the
Medicare and
Medicaid programs and possibly shut down. A problematic
inspection
history led to their inclusion as special focus facilities.”
Special focus facilities are subject to increased
inspections by the
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Regulations
require nursing home facilities to be inspected by the state
once a
year, in addition to any inspections conducted to
investigate
complaints. Special focus facilities are inspected at least
twice a
year. The public can access all of the department’s
inspection
reports on all nursing home facilities at its Web site
www.healthfacilities.info . “We urge families that are
making decisions about placing loved ones
in nursing home facilities to visit the Web site and look at
the
available inspection reports,” said Roitman. “Then, talk
with the
facility personnel to learn how they have responded to the
problems the
state identified.” When nursing home facilities are cited
for deficiencies, they must
submit an acceptable plan of correction to correct the
deficiencies.
The state then monitors those facilities to make sure
correction plans
are followed. “Shutting a facility never would be a simple
or hasty decision,
particularly in smaller communities where there are not
sufficient beds
to take in residents from a facility forced to close,” added
Calonge.
“It is better to work to improve existing facilities - and
it is what
we do in the Health Facilities Division on a daily basis.”
Both Eagle Ridge and Kindred Healthcare currently are in
compliance
with CMS regulations. Eagle Ridge is operating under new
management
since its original designation. --30-- |
