Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox sues Metron Nursing Home Chain
following death of resident…AG continues efforts to
improve environment of Michigan's nursing facilities
LANSING, MI., PRNewswire/
--Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox says that he has filed suit
against Metron Integrated Health Systems and three of its nursing
facilities located in Allegan, Big Rapids, and Kalamazoo.
"No one should have to check their
dignity at the door of a nursing facility," said Cox. "Michigan's
seniors and vulnerable adults deserve a safe and healthy place to
live."
Eight employees of Metron of Big
Rapids nursing facility were recently charged by the Attorney
General with a variety of criminal offenses, including involuntary
manslaughter, stemming from the death of an oxygen-dependent
resident in January 2005. Nursing facilities that serve Medicaid
patients are required to comply with state and federal laws designed
to promote high quality care. They are also subject to yearly
inspections by the Department of Community Health. Inspections of
the Big Rapids facility by the Department of Community Health in
2004 and 2005 led to 27 and 12 deficiency citations, respectively,
which are significantly above the state norm of seven deficiencies
per inspection.
Evaluations of Metron's Allegan
and Kalamazoo nursing homes also established that these two
facilities have been operating in a manner that could endanger their
residents. After receiving 6 deficiencies in 2004, Metron of Allegan
was cited for 21 deficiencies in 2005. Similarly, Metron of
Kalamazoo's evaluation was worse in 2005, with an increase from 8
deficiency citations in 2004 to 15 in 2005.
Cox added: "The Metron facilities
in Michigan received more than $32 million from the State of
Michigan Medicaid program last year. But even if they didn't get one
penny from the taxpayers, Metron still has an obligation to protect
the heath and safety of all of their residents."
The Attorney General's complaint
was filed in Ingham County Circuit Court. In addition to requesting
damages for Medicaid funds paid for care that was deficient, the
complaint seeks injunctive relief against Metron designed to improve
its operations and bring the three nursing homes into compliance
with state and federal laws.
"Nothing that is said or done can
bring Sarah Comer back to life," Cox said. "But what we can do is
take strong legal action to help ensure that no one else needlessly
loses a life or suffers injury or neglect at any of the nine Metron
facilities in Michigan. All men and women in nursing facilities
deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and their heath and
well-being needs to be safeguarded from the moment they enter the
front door."