• 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
    • Nursing Home Neglect & Abuse
    • Criminal/DWI 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
    • Nursing Home Neglect & Abuse
    • Criminal/DWI Defense
    • Medical Malpractice
  • Blog
  • Resources
    • Videos
    • Notable Cases
  • Contact Us
Call
Contact
Blog
Home  /  Coronavirus  /  Report: Why Nursing Home Oversight Fails the Public

Report: Why Nursing Home Oversight Fails the Public

by Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC 23 Dec2021

A new investigation by CalMatters asks why a nearly-$1 million fine issued against a California nursing home over alleged health code violations went unknown by consumers. In 2018, state health inspectors visited the facility, Fresno’s Northpointe Healthcare Center, and found it to have health and safety deficiencies that put its residents in “immediate jeopardy.” These included a resident “hospitalized with sepsis after missing four doses of an antibiotic,” overworked staff missing treatments and failing to administer medication, and residents suffering from bedsore-related pain. After the state inspectors released their findings, federal authorities fined the facility $912,404, reportedly “the largest penalty given to any California nursing home in at least a decade.”

Unfortunately, the general public was not easily able to learn of these actions taken against Northpointe Healthcare Center. According to CalMatters, government-run websites tasked to publicize enforcement actions against nursing homes “often fail” in this duty, omitting important data like the $912,000 fine against Northpointe. Even when federal nursing home oversight authorities released a site allowing the public to look up information about nursing homes last year, “the website… had inexplicable data gaps” like the fine against Northpointe. CalMatters reports that information is missing for many nursing homes in the state, and getting a full picture of oversight actions against various nursing homes requires substantial effort.  

Over the course of its investigation, CalMatters identified 50 nursing homes in the state with more than $100,000 in aggregate annual fines dating back to 2018. Only 14 of these facilities “were discoverable” on the new state resource page, Care Compare. Members of the public wishing to uncover data about the fines not included on the website would have to go to a more labyrinthine resource, the federal government’s Quality Certification Oversight Reports page. There they could find information about a nursing home in Orange County, California that received a 2019 fine exceeding $500,000; a nursing home in Pasadena issued a 2020 fine exceeding $280,000; and a nursing home in Central Valley that received a 2021 fine of nearly $190,000. 

CalMatters reports that after it informed federal authorities of the missing fines, some of them “suddenly” appeared on Care Compare. In response to inquiries about the change, the agency said it had withheld fines “if the nursing homes were not making payments on them.” An expert suggested to CalMatters that this practice functionally rewarded nursing home facilities for their “bad behavior,” incentivizing them not to pay fines: because then the fines wouldn’t become public. 

For more information into CalMatters’ investigation into nursing home fines in California, visit the report here.

The attorneys at the Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC work diligently to protect the rights of nursing home residents.  Please contact us to discuss in the event you have a potential case involving neglect or abuse.

Posted in: Coronavirus, COVID-19, Infection, Neglect, Nursing Home Abuse, 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

Toll Free:
(855) 228-7369

Fax:
(516) 394-4229

12 1st St
Riverhead, NY 11901

Toll Free:
(855) 228-7369

Fax:
(516) 394-4229

Footer

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

ATTORNEY ADVERTISING

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