Published: October 30, 2008 10:44 am      

Guardian prepares for imminent closure

ibrown@themeridianstar.com



Frustrations continue to escalate as the staff as well as family members of residents of Guardian Angel Healthcare Inc. make preparations for Friday's closing of the long term healthcare facility.

"We're still having to get all the residents out of here," said Veronica Jones, a staff member. "All the residents will probably be moved before Friday; they didn't change anything."

Jones is referring to results of Monday's meeting with officials from the Mississippi State Department of Health's Divisions of Medicare and Medicaid. Guardian Angel's funding has been discontinued by Medicare and Medicaid due to numerous deficiencies.

In addition to employees of the local health care facility, more than 50 family members attended the meeting.

"A lot of them (family) didn't understand the reason, because there's so many more facilities in the state of Mississippi that have worse ratings than we did," Jones said.

According to Liz Sharlot, director of communications for the Mississippi State Department of Health, Medicare and Medicaid will no longer pay reimbursements based on the health department's inspection of the facility.

"Medicare and Medicaid are cutting off their payments because the nursing home is not in substantial compliance with the participation requirements that has to do with the health and safety of the residents," Sharlot said.

Residents can continue to stay at the facility, but they will not continue to receive Medicare and Medicaid payments.

In January, the state department of health conducted an inspection of Guardian Angel and, according to Dr. Paulette Butler, owner of the facility, they received a "No substandard care" rating. A second inspection received the same rating. However, Butler said when a desk review was conducted by federal surveyors, the facility received three "Js," meaning the facility was in immediate jeopardy to residents' health or safety for regulatory requirements.

But Sharlot said health officials conducted the inspection as well as follow-up inspections, and from one of the inspectors there was 125 pages of substantial non-compliance issues with three immediate jeopardy issues.

"We do the inspections so that Medicare/Medicaid can determine if the facility is in compliance with the federal participation requirements for nursing homes," she said.

The Mississippi State Department of Health has not taken any licensure actions.

"That's pending," Sharlot said. "We're reviewing several options. The hope would be that the residents wouldn't have to move."

The department of health will assist patients safely move to healthy and safe environments, as well as help them locate facilities that will receive Medicare and Medicaid, she said.

Butler said a plan of corrections was filed by Guardian Angel detailing steps the facility would take to correct the matter. However, she said the state did not return their plan of corrections in time.

"They got it (plan of corrections) back to us on the 37th day; that gave us no time, if they found anything, for us to correct," Butler said.

The home health care facility owner has taken several measures to prevent the closure – from submitting a petition complaint to Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour to agreeing to leave the facility.

"We've appealed to everybody who would listen to us, but to no avail," Butler said. "I even told them, 'Just don't move the residents; I'll step aside – I'll lease it, I'll sell it, I'll do whatever, just don't move them.' But to no avail."

Sharlot said Medicare and Medicaid's decision to discontinue funding for Guardian Angel is not a personal attack against Butler.

"The top line is the residents' health and safety," she said.

According to Butler, Guardian Angel will be leased to a management company, which is set to begin operating Nov. 10.