Two Nursing Homes Object of Special Focus

Department of Public Health & Environment, Jan 22, 2008

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 o Public Health and Environment. “Nothing is more important in nursing homes than the proper treatment of their residents. Applying ‘special focus’ designation to certain nursing homes is one o the ways we work to demand continuous improvement at a facility.”

The Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services Division at th Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment had designate 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.

“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.”