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At a certain point, it may become necessary to seek skilled nursing care for yourself or for a loved one. If you live in Syracuse, you may have considered Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center as an option. But how can you know if this facility is safe for your loved one?
Inspections conducted by the New York State Department of Health reveal a pattern of citations. A recent enforcement action reveals violations ranging from failure to treat and prevent pressure ulcers to failure to ensure that residents were able to self-administer medication safely. If your loved one has suffered abuse or neglect while at Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, our New York nursing home abuse lawyers can help you get justice.
At the Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, we are fierce advocates for clients throughout New York who have been injured at nursing homes, in accidents, or due to medical malpractice. We handle all cases on a contingency fee basis, which means that you’ll never pay a fee unless we recover money for you. Reach out to our law firm today to talk to a New York nursing home abuse and neglect attorney.
A History of Serious Violations at Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center
Located in Syracuse, Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center offers both short and long-term skilled nursing care to residents and patients. While this nursing home has a glossy website, inspections by the New York State Department of Health reveal an entirely different picture. It is listed as one of the 428 nursing homes in New York with enforcement actions over the past decade.
Per the Department of Health, Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center has received 374 complaints between 2015 and 2025. This works out to 92.6 complaints per 100 occupied beds in the facility. 49% of the complaints represent incidents reported by the facility itself.
These complaints resulted in 92 on-site inspections and 86 citations. The citation rate is 21.3 per 100 occupied beds.
Between 2021 and 2025, the Department of State issued 36 citations to this facility based on complaints. These complaint-related citations are further broken down into categories as follows:
- Administration: 2 citations
- Dietary Services: 7 citations
- Other Services: 4 citations
- Physical Environment: 8 citations
- Quality of Care: 10 citations
- Resident Rights: 5 citations
The Department of Health also issued 273 other citations to Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center between 2021 and 2025. This includes:
- 155 standard health citations
- 118 life safety code citations
17 of these 273 citations were related to actual harm or immediate jeopardy to residents and patients.
The Department of Health has also taken a number of enforcement actions against Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center over the past decade. Most recently, the facility was fined $72,000 in February 2025 for multiple deficiencies, including:
- Failure to ensure that residents were able to self-administer medication safely
- Failure to ensure that a physician was consulted and a resident’s representative was contacted when there was a significant change in the resident’s physical, mental, and psychosocial status (for 2 residents, with 1 resident being seriously injured and hospitalized with severe dehydration)
- Failure to ensure that services met standards of quality in 5 out of 5 areas (pressure ulcers, medication administration, respiratory care, activities of daily living, and laboratory testing notifications)
- Failure to ensure that a resident with pressure ulcers received necessary treatment and services to promote healing, prevent infection, and prevent new ulcers from developing for 4 residents, with 1 resident seriously injured with osteomyelitis
- Failure to ensure that pain management was provided to residents as prescribed, with 1 resident documented as having complained of uncontrolled pain
- Failure to provide medically-related social services, including a failure to include interventions for mental health diagnoses for 5 residents
- Failure to ensure that the ordering physician was notified promptly when laboratory results fell outside of clinical reference range for 3 residents, with 1 resident being severely injured and hospitalized for pneumonia and dehydration
- Failure to develop and implement policies and procedures to monitor the delivery of care to residents.
Several other enforcement actions resulted in fines of $14,000, $2,000, $2,000, and $10,000 against Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center for similar infractions. This includes issues related to the care and prevention of pressure ulcers, keeping the facility free from fall hazards, honoring residents’ rights, protecting residents from abuse, not transferring or discharging residents without an adequate reason, providing appropriate treatment and care, and medication errors.
These complaints, citations, and enforcement actions reveal a pattern of behavior that raises serious questions about the quality of care provided at these facilities. If your loved one is currently at Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, checking in on them frequently may reduce the risk of them being subject to nursing home abuse or neglect.
What You Can Do If Your Loved One Was Injured at Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center?
If your family member was abused or neglected while at Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, you should submit a complaint to the Department of Health, Division of Nursing Home and ICF/IID Surveillance. They are responsible for investigating allegations of abuse, neglect, and other forms of mistreatment throughout the state. If your complaint is substantiated, it may result in enforcement action.
You should also consult with a New York nursing home abuse attorney. If your loved one suffered an injury or developed an illness because of abuse or neglect while at Bishop, you could pursue a claim against the facility.
These cases are usually based on a theory of negligence or carelessness. In nursing home cases, negligence occurs when the facility fails to meet the standards for the industry based on the specific needs of the patient. Through a lawsuit, you can recover financial compensation for all of your injuries, including medical bills, future medical treatment, pain and suffering, reduced quality of life, and even the cost to move your loved one to a new facility.
As experienced nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers, we are skilled at investigating these cases. We won’t simply accept the explanation provided by the nursing home. Instead, we will dig into the facts to determine what exactly happened and whether the facility can be held liable for your losses.
In our investigation, we will request medical records, review staffing reports, analyze any photos and videos related to the incident, interview witnesses, and review Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center’s policies and procedures. We will also analyze the facility’s complaint and enforcement records and consult with experts to determine if your loved one’s injury or illness was preventable.
While money can’t make your loved one whole again, it can provide a financial cushion that allows your family to move forward after abuse or neglect. If you have received substandard care at Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, contact our law firm for a free consultation.
Past Citations at Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center
1. New York Nursing Home Bishop Rehabilitation & Nursing Center Cited for Abuse
Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center has received 75 citations for violations of public health code between 2017 and 2021, according to health records accessed on April 16, 2021. The Syracuse nursing home’s citations resulted from a total of 15 inspections by state surveyors. The violations they describe include the following:
The nursing home did not take adequate steps to prevent infection. Section 483.80 of the Federal Code requires nursing homes to create and maintain an infection control program designed to prevent infection. A September 2020 citation found that Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center failed to ensure such. The citation states specifically that the nursing home two registered nurses and a licensed practical nurse “were observed wearing face masks below their noses” while treating a resident, and that a unit aide was observed “wearing a face mask below her nose and mouth while sitting with 2 residents and speaking with another staff member,” in contravention of the facility’s guidelines concerning the use of personal protective equipment. A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the re-education of relevant staff.
The nursing home did not take adequate measures to prevent accidents. Under Section 483.25 of the Federal Code, nursing homes must ensure residents are provided with environments free of accident hazards and with adequate supervision to prevent accidents. A March 2020 citation found that Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center failed to ensure such. The citation states specifically that a resident who had not been “thoroughly assessed for wandering upon admission” was sent to an appointment unsupervised, then “wandered from the appointment unnoticed and was missing for 12-hours before being found.” The citation goes on to state that the resident was not timely reassessed for wandering behavior upon his return to the facility and that he was not timely applied a wander-guard device when he was finally reassessed. A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the assessment of the resident and the education of registered nurses regarding wandering assessments.
The nursing home did not adequately prevent abuse. Section 483.12 of the Federal Code guarantees nursing home residents “the right to be free from abuse.” A December 20 citation found that Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center failed to ensure such. The citation states specifically that the nursing home failed to prevent a resident from being abused by Certified Nurse Aide, and that two other CNAs “did not report abuse immediately to facility Administration,” enabling the CNA who committed abuse to continue providing care to other residents. A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the suspension of the CNA who committed the abuse and the suspension of the two who delayed reporting it. A Registered Nurse was also suspended and later resigned. The citation states that this deficiency resulted in “actual harm.”
2. Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center Cited for Falls, Infection
Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center has received 91 citations for violations of public health code between 2017 and 2021, according to records accessed on November 12, 2021. It was recently placed on the “Special Focus Facility” list maintained by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The Syracuse nursing home facility’s citations resulted from a total of 17 surveys by state inspectors. The deficiencies they describe include the following:
The nursing home did not employ adequate measures to prevent falls. Under Section 483.25 of the Federal Code, nursing homes must provide residents with adequate supervision and assistance devices to prevent accidents. A September 2021 citation found that Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center failed to ensure such. The citation specifically describes a resident who “did not have a supervision plan in place to ensure safety during meals while receiving a mechanically altered diet.” The resident consequently “sustained several falls.” According to the citation, the nursing home did not thoroughly investigate the falls for the purpose of preventing further falls. The citation goes on to describe multiple instances during which the resident was eating in their room with no staff president, despite care instructions requiring supervision while eating. The citation describes these deficiencies as having the “potential to cause more than minimal harm.” A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the re-education of staff.
The nursing home did not adequately undertake infection prevention and control measures. Section 483.80 of the Federal Code stipulates that nursing homes must create and uphold an infection prevention and control program to prevent the spread of communicable diseases and infections. A September 2021 citation found that Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center failed to ensure such. The citation states specifically that the nursing home did not maintain an infection control program adequately designed to prevent the transmission of Covid-19. The citation specifically describes a Certified Nursing Aide who was “observed wearing their face mask below their nose for 3 days.” The CNA was observed wearing their mask thusly in a resident dining room “during a karaoke activity” and on other instances when around residents. In an interview, the CNA acknowledged that “they should wear their mask over their nose and mouth, including when assisting residents eating in the dining room, to prevent the transmission of germs,” but said they sometimes forgot to do so while eating and drinking. A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the re-education and disciplining of the CNA in question.
The nursing home did not adequately control pests. Under Section 483.90 of the Federal Code, nursing homes must “Maintain an effective pest control program so that the facility is free of pests and rodents.” A September 2021 citation found that Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center failed to ensure such. The citation specifically describes findings of fruit flies and house flies in the facility’s main kitchen, its “Rainbow Room,” and in five resident units. In an interview, the facility’s Director “stated they were not aware of flies in the building.” A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the completion of pest control by an outside contractor.
Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center: 9 Reported COVID-19 Deaths
Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center suffered nine coronavirus deaths as of May 17, 2020, per state records. The nursing home also received 109 citations for violations of public health code between 2016 and 2020, according to New York State Department of Health records accessed on May 18, 2020. The facility has additionally received eight enforcement actions, including: a 2018 fine of $24,000 in connection to findings it violated unspecified health code provisions; a 2016 fine of $10,000 in connection to findings in a 2016 inspection that it violated health code provisions regarding pressure sores; and a 2016 fine of $10,000 in connection to findings in a 2016 inspection that it violated health code provisions regarding accidents. The Syracuse nursing home’s citations resulted from a total of 15 surveys by state inspectors. These citations include several for alleged violations of Section 483.80 of the Federal Code, which requires nursing homes establish and implement infection control practices. Those three citations include:
An August 2019 citation found that the nursing home did not ensure proper hand hygiene was performed during the administration of medication. An inspector specifically observed a Licensed Practical Nurse prepare medications for a resident without performing hand hygiene. The LPN was observed removing blister packs from her cart while touching her computer and mouse, then helping the resident back into his wheelchair after he fell, obtaining his vital signs, returning to her cart, removing pills from blister packs, placing them in a cup, and giving them to the resident, all without performing hand hygiene. The LPN was then observed pushing the cart to another resident’s doorway, removing blister packs from the cart, popping pills into a cup, touching her computer mouse, pouring water into a up, moving the resident’s overbed table, and handing him the pills and some water, then returning to her cart without performing hand hygiene. A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included educating the LPN on proper hand washing technique.
A November 2018 citation found that Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center did not timely execute isolation precautions when a resident tested positive for antibiotic-resistant MRSA. The citation states that the positive results were received on December 16. 2017, but that isolation precautions were not implemented until a day later, on December 17, 2017. In an interview, a Registered Nurse told an inspector that “if a specimen came back positive… precautions should have been started immediately,” including the placement of the resident on “droplet precautions and protective equipment.” A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the reeducation of nursing staff on isolation infection control procedures.
A June 2018 citation found that Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center did not properly use personal protective equipment when entering the room of a resident who was on contact precautions. The resident’s medical condition is redacted from the citation, though it states that interventions in the resident’s care plan included the wearing of gowns and masks when changing the resident’s contaminated linens. The citation goes on to state that a bed maker was observed entering the resident’s room without wearing a gown, mask, or gloves, even though an isolation supply bag hung on the door to the room, and there was a sign on the wall specifying that the room was on contact precautions. The bed maker was observed with the front of her scrub top rubbing against the bed’s footboard, according to the citation; then, she was observed placing her left hand on the bed as she made it. After a nurse called the bed maker from the doorway and informed her she needed to wear a gown and gloves, the bed maker exited the room. In an interview, she said “she had no training on isolation precautions.”
Help for Victims of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect
Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center may strive to provide excellent care to residents, but the reality is that they often fall short. Whether due to staffing shortages, inadequate training, or basic malfeasance, there have been too many incidents where a patient or resident has suffered due to this facility’s abuse or neglect.
At the Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, we work hard to get justice for victims of nursing home abuse and neglect and their families. We treat each client with compassion and respect, advocating for their rights while pursuing full compensation. To learn more or to schedule a free initial consultation with a New York nursing home abuse attorney, give us a call at 866-931-9015 or fill out our online contact form.
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