Awhile back, we wrote about the troubled Westside Healthcare Nursing Home in Price Hill, Ohio and its operator Abe Fischer. We brought attention to the raid that took place at the home, in which investigators found numerous health code violations. Fortunately for residents, a change in ownership may be near.
A Cleveland-based nursing home operator is in talks to lease the Westside Healthcare Nursing Home and the Terrace at Westside, another assisted living facility operated by Fischer. If the Westside facility is shut down, the Terrace at Westside could also close due to having the same operator. The possible sale of the two homes was revealed today during an administrative hearing about health and safety violations found during the raid.
Fischer, said he is considering selling the properties to an investor who would then lease them to Bill Shackleford, who runs nursing facilities in Cleveland. A sale of the facilities could prevent their closure and the relocation of more than 60 residents from both facilities.
Unfortunately, Westside’s ability to accept Medicaid is still in jeopardy because of the dozen health and safety violations found during previous inspections. Those violations included soiled linens, an unsanitary dishwasher, broken equipment, improperly stored drugs and fire hazards. Even if Westside has a new owner, the facility may still face the possible loss of Medicaid payments, according to state officials. “If they complete a transfer, that doesn’t wipe the slate clean,” said P.R. Casey, an assistant attorney general who represents the Ohio Department of Health. “They essentially have to start over from scratch.”
For More Information, Click Here.