Members of Congress ratchet up pressure on nursing homes

Four influential Republican Congressmen sent a letter to federal regulators Tuesday, requesting sweeping answers about the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' oversight of nursing homes.

It is part of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's official inquiry into how well the agency oversees skilled nursing providers nationwide.

At the epicenter of the inquiry is the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills, which infamously did not have sufficient power supplies after Hurricane Irma hit Florida in the fall, allegedly leading to the deaths of 14 residents. The lawmakers' letter also painstakingly asks CMS for any information on Jack Michel, who leads the company that owns Hollywood Hills and has had run-ins with regulators and law enforcement officials at several other healthcare facilities he owned or operated.

The nine-page letter to CMS Administrator Seema Verma also asks for information as to what CMS has been doing regarding “reports of sexual abuse and neglect” in skilled nursing and nursing facilities around the nation

“The committee has been closely following recent media reports describing horrific instances of abuse, neglect, and patient harm allegedly occurring at SNFs and NFs across the country,” the letter said. The lawmakers noted that “the adequacy of the CMS' oversight” also has been “called into question” recently by reports from the Office of Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office.

“These reports raise serious questions about the degree to which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is fulfilling its responsibility” to keep skilled nursing residents safe, wrote Energy and Commerce Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR); Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chairman Gregg Harper (R-MS); Subcommittee on Health Chairman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX); and Congressman Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL).

They went on to describe recent news accounts and federal agency reports detailing hundreds of incidents of neglect or abuse not being investigated in a timely manner, or not at all.

The lawmakers said they wanted CMS to brief them on the issues raised no later than April 16, along with a bundle of further information no later than April 23.

In addition to a handful of Michel- and Hollywood Hills-related requests for specific information, the lawmakers made many other sweeping requests for documents or background.

Among them were documents and information about complaints related to hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. They also requested survey- and certification-related documents, and complaint findings since Jan. 1, 2010.

They also seek information on beleaguered Special Focus Facilities' oversight and what CMS does to ensure nursing home staff are licensed appropriately.

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Sad Story (and Good People)

Molly and Eli Kaye tragically lost their Mother yesterday to breast cancer. She was only 37 years old. She fought bravely but sadly lost the battle to this terrible disease.

Its impossible to imagine the pain these children are going through. There are no family members able to take them in and they were left with very little to provide for their needs.

When Carol and Marc Ackerman heard their story they immediately reached out to help. They offered to take them into their family and love them.  They met the children at the summer camp their own kids go to.  They will become Molly and Eli’s legal guardians. 

Carol and Marc live in New City and have three children of their own. They volunteer in the community and always help others in any way they can. Carol is an EMT with the New City Ambulance Corp and Marc is a Volunteer Firefighter. They both have hearts of gold. 

They will need to provide food, clothes, school supplies, two new rooms in their home, money for college, and all the other essentials needed for Molly and Eli to adjust to their new life. 

Any donation you could give, small or large, would be truly appreciated. Let’s show our support for these beautiful kids who lost everything and will have to start over in our.

Where do I come in? Molly and Eli are high school students at the Schecter School in Williston Park on Long Island where my wife works. In order to maintain a shred of normalcy in their life, my wife and I have agreed to dorm Molly and Eli for the rest of the school year so they can finish it out. Hopefully this will helpful in the healing process.

Thanks for listening.

Please do what you can.

https://www.gofundme.com/hearts-of-gold

Injured Workers Have Third Party Option After Work Comp

Work injuries are life changing and still all too common in America. Injured workers wonder if they will ever return to work, how they will pay for extended care and rehabilitation, and who will pay the bills while they recover.
Today, workers’ compensation insurance is available in all 50 states and covers some medical care and lost income. But with workers’ comp benefits under attack and shrinking in many states, injured workers should not overlook possible third party actions for additional financial support.

BY THE NUMBERS 2.9 Million Nearly three million people were injured in a workplace accident in 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.	VIDEO BOOKMARK Cubicle Safety 101 Workin' nine to five in a cubicle is one way to prevent workplace injury and illness, but the office can still hide unforeseen dangers.
THE DOCKET SEE OUR NEWSLETTER IN ACTION FEATURES AND BENEFITS BROWSE PAST ISSUES SIGN UP NOW CONTACT US	DEATH ON THE JOB Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect, 2017 is a comprehensive report on safety and health protections for America's workers.

Personal Security and Data Breaches

Facebook: Most users’ public information was accessed.

The Washington Post (4/4, Timberg, Romm, Dwoskin, 15.03M) reports that Facebook announced Wednesday that “‘malicious actors’ took advantage of search tools on its platform, making it possible for them to discover the identities and collect information on most of its 2 billion users worldwide.” In addition, the company announced that “Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy hired by President Trump and other Republicans, had improperly gathered detailed Facebook information on 87 million people, of whom 71 million were Americans.” Rebecca Jarvis reported on ABC World News Tonight (4/4, story 2, 1:20, Llamas, 14.63M), “Starting Monday, Facebook will tell users if their information was may have been shared with Cambridge Analytica, by adding a link at the top of the news feed.” The company also announced “several other changes, including restricting access for third party apps and deleting phone and text logs after a year.”

        The CBS Evening News (4/4, story 6, 0:30, Glor, 11.17M) reported that Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg “will testify before Congress next week.” The Wall Street Journal (4/4, McKinnon, Wells, Subscription Publication, 6.5M) says Zuckerberg will appear before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on April 11. According to a company spokesman, conversations are ongoing about additional hearings.

        Miguel Almaguer reported in the lead story for NBC Nightly News (4/4, lead story, 2:10, Holt, 16.61M) that some people are leaving Facebook and “the company is losing value, down $87 billion.” 

Panera Bread breach illustrates dangers of loyalty programs.

 

The Washington Post (4/4, Siegel, 15.03M) discusses the Panera Bread customer data breach, saying it “makes one wonder: Is a free sandwich worth the hassle of having personal identifying information floating into the wrong hands?” The Post adds, “Consumers will decide for themselves at what cost they’re willing to volunteer personal information. And the feeling that our data are everywhere has made some people feel more cavalier about it.”