• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
(914) 220-1086

Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC

Just another WordPress site

  • Home
  • About
    • Attorney Profiles
      • Daniel F. Gallivan
      • Thomas L. Gallivan
      • James C. Freeman
      • Andrew J. Gilbride
    • Testimonials
  • Practice Areas
    • Personal Injury
      • Car Accident Lawyers
      • Pedestrian Accident Lawyers
      • Slip & Fall Lawyers
      • Truck Accident Lawyers
      • Wrongful Death Lawyers
      • Motorcycle Accident Lawyers
    • Nursing Home Abuse
    • Criminal Defense
    • Medical Malpractice
  • Blog
  • Resources
    • Videos
    • Notable Cases
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • About
    • Attorney Profiles
      • Daniel F. Gallivan
      • Thomas L. Gallivan
      • James C. Freeman
      • Andrew J. Gilbride
    • Testimonials
  • Practice Areas
    • Personal Injury
      • Car Accident Lawyers
      • Pedestrian Accident Lawyers
      • Slip & Fall Lawyers
      • Truck Accident Lawyers
      • Wrongful Death Lawyers
      • Motorcycle Accident Lawyers
    • Nursing Home Abuse
    • Criminal Defense
    • Medical Malpractice
  • Blog
  • Resources
    • Videos
    • Notable Cases
  • Contact Us
Call
Contact
Blog
Home  /  Nursing Home Violations  /  New Owner Takes Over Upstate Nursing Home with History of Providing Poor Care

New Owner Takes Over Upstate Nursing Home with History of Providing Poor Care

by Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC 07 Apr2014

A private company, the Upstate Services Group, purchased the Van Duyn Home and Hospital in November 2013 from Onondaga County for $5 million. Known as the “safety net” home for poor patients who can’t afford to go elsewhere, the 513- bed facility was placed on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service’s (CMS) Special Focus Facility watchlist after receiving numerous deficiencies from the Department of Health. According to Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney, the nursing home was losing millions of dollars a year for the local government. In addition, families of 14 residents at the facility have pending legal cases against the county alleging the facility caused injuries or deaths of elderly relatives. In October 2013, the county paid $250,000 to a family of a 97-year-old patient who died in 2011 after her broken leg went untreated for days.

After hiring a consultant and increasing staff training, the nursing home came off the watchlist in November 2013. Van Duyn Administrator Maureen Cerniglia stated that she and her staff worked hard to improve the care at the facility. She said, “We’ve done a very good job. We’ve had two solid years.”

The new owners, Uri Koenig, a certified public accountant, and Efraim Steif, a nursing home administrator, currently own or operate twelve nursing homes in New York, including the Central Park Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, a facility that was once on the government’s watchlist. Since taking over the facility in 2008, the center was removed from the list and has shown a “consistent high level of care,” according to the Department of Health. Moreover, in a recent report, the Department of Health stated that the new owner of Van Duyn will improve the “financial stability and quality of care” of the home.

Upstate Services’ Chief Operating Officer David Camerota stated that the company is hiring eight new nurses and 16 aides to improve the quality of care at Van Duyn. In addition, Camerota stated that the firm plans on renovating and opening a wing that was once shut down by the county. Moreover, the COO pointed out that his company expects to make a $500,000 profit during its first year of ownership by cutting employee benefits. For instance, employees will receive less vacation time, be required to pay more towards health benefits, and will no longer get credit towards a state pension.

Representatives from the Civil Services Employees Union Stated that employee contributions towards health premiums will double under the new owner. The CSEA tried to block the sale of the facility but lost the case in Supreme Court.

Camerota stated that the changes are fair to the employees. He stated, “We will be instituting a plan that we feel is competitive in the marketplace.”

Former County Legislator Chairman Jim Rhinehart said that he is optimistic about the changes. He said, “A lot of people were convinced that Van Duyn would have to close. There’s no reason why the private sector can’t be successful there and provide good service to the community.”

Website Resource: Van Duyn nursing home gets new life as Onondaga County cedes control to private firm, syracuse.com, Glenn Coin, December 1, 2013

Posted in: Nursing Home Violations

Primary Sidebar

Get In Touch

Practice Areas

Personal Injury

  • Wrongful Death
  • Motor Vehicle Accidents
  • Trucking Accidents
  • Pedestrian Accidents
  • Construction Accidents
  • Scaffolding Accidents
  • Slip, Trip & Falls (Premises Liability)
  • Negligent Supervision at a School or Day Care
  • Sidewalk Falls
  • Elevator Accidents
  • Train and Subway Accidents

Nursing Home Neglect & Abuse

  • Bedsores (Pressure Ulcers)
  • Falls & Fractures
  • Malnutrition and Dehydration
  • Physical and Sexual Abuse
  • Wandering & Elopement
  • Unexplained Bruises and Cuts
  • Infection
  • Choking Incidents
  • Medication Errors
  • Group Homes
  • Assisted Living Facilities

Criminal/DWI Defense

  • DWI (Driving While Intoxicated)
  • Criminal Defense
  • Traffic Violations
  • DMV Refusal Hearings
  • Sex Crimes
  • Shoplifting & Larceny
  • Assault & Vehicular Assault
  • Drug Possession
  • Drug Sales
  • Weapons Charges
  • Domestic Violence
  • How is a DWI Defined in New York?
  • Is the Driver’s License Confiscated Immediately Upon a DWI Arrest?

Medical Malpractice

  • Failure to Diagnose Cancer
  • Birth Injuries (Gynecological, Obstetrical)
  • Medication Errors
  • Surgical Errors
  • Gastric Bypass Surgery Errors
  • Emergency Room Errors
  • Failure to Diagnose Heart Attack or Stroke
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Erbs Palsy Birth Injury

Trusts + Estates

  • Wills & Trusts
  • Divorce, Child Support, Custody Issues
  • Elder Law
  • Estate Planning
  • Guardianships
  • Medicaid-Planning
  • Power of Attorney / Health Care Proxy
  • Probate and Estate Administration
  • Surrogate Court Litigation
  • Real Estate
  • Business Formation
  • Wills
  • Will Contests

View All Practice Areas

View All Blogs

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

" Last year I was injured in an accident, and for the first time, needed the advice of an attorney regarding how to proceed. I was referred to Thomas Gallivan through a family member who is a lawyer in Massachusetts. I am beyond pleased with how Thomas handled my case. He was knowledgeable, professional, and although the case was not as straightforward as some, he used every resource to ensure a positive outcome. Thomas communicated with me regularly and I felt completely informed and confident in his ability. He expertly negotiated a fair settlement that I was very happy with. The entire experience was extremely positive, during a stressful time for me. Thank you Thomas. "

Melanie

" Attorney Thomas Gallivan is a wonderful attorney!! I particularly liked his professionalism, consistency, always kept us updated on the case, and available upon request. He worked extremely hard and was persistent on getting the best settlement in a timely matter. I truly appreciated his prompt responsiveness to emails and phone calls. The office staff was very pleasant and made sure to get messages to him asap. Glad we chose this law firm, would highly recommend and in the event that we ever need an attorney again, Gallivan & Gallivan would be my primary choice. "

Katherine R.

" I was a passenger on a motorcycle and ended up falling off the back of the bike due to the driver acting like an idiot. I fell off at a high rate of speed and was very banged up. Fractured wrist and road rash down my back and elbows. I am lucky I didnt die. Not knowing what to do I contacted Thomas and he could not have been anymore helpful!! He went out of his way to meet with me. He actually came to my house for the initial consultation. I know nothing about law or what my options even were. He took me through everything step by step. "

Colin W.

View All Testimonials

245 Main St Suite 450 White Plains, NY 10601

Phone:
(914) 220-1086

Fax:
(516) 394-4229

555 5th Ave 14th Floor
New York, NY 10017

Toll Free:
(855) 228-7369

(By Appointment Only)

1370 RXR Plaza
Uniondale, NY 11556

Phone:
(914) 594-6820

Fax:
(516) 394-4229

12 1st St
Riverhead, NY 11901

Phone:
(914) 825-5855

Fax:
(516) 394-4229

Footer

  • Home
  • About
  • Practice Areas
  • Blog
  • Resources
  • Contact Us

ATTORNEY ADVERTISING

Copyright © 2022, Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC