Post-Acute

The Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals visited Sioux City-based Westwood Specialty Care nursing home to investigate 15 separate complaints and four self-reported incidents, the Iowa Capital Dispatch reported Oct. 24.

CMS is increasing oversight and scrutiny of the nation's poorest-performing nursing homes with updates to its Special Focus Facilities program.

St. Louis-based Mercy and Lifepoint Rehabilitation entered into a joint venture agreement with Mercy Hospital South for the new Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital South facility in that city.

For the first time, nursing home residents are not numbered among the dead after Hurricane Ian, suggesting nursing homes facilities had effective emergency responses, according to an Oct. 13 article on AARP's website. 

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan will disburse $50 million to nursing homes and hospitals to ease workforce challenges and COVID-related barriers, Maryland News reported Oct. 16.

MUSC Health Mullins (S.C.) Nursing Center relocated residents to another facility after finding bats living outside, ABC affiliate KNXV reported Oct. 12.

San Francisco city officials and federal regulators reached a settlement regarding Laguna Honda, the city's largest nursing home that was slated to close Nov. 13, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Oct. 12.

The federal government is attempting to block the sale of QHC Facilities, an Iowa-based bankrupt nursing home chain, due to an unpaid $1 million debt to CMS, Iowa Capital Dispatch reported Oct. 11.

The Supreme Court will hear arguments Nov. 8 about whether publicly owned nursing homes can be sued for violations of federal law under Medicare and Medicaid, CBS affiliate WXIN reported Oct. 10. 

Dubuque (Iowa) Specialty Care nursing home will be fined at least $20,000 after locking a wheelchair-bound resident outside the building for 11 hours, Iowa Capital Dispatch reported Oct. 3.