State moves to shut down Worcester nursing home
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The Hermitage HealthCare in Worcester
Massachusetts health officials are moving toward a potential closure of a Worcester nursing home that allegedly failed to meet requirements of care during the coronavirus pandemic and has a reported record of poor performance.
The center, Hermitage Healthcare at 383 Mill St., is one of three statewide receiving such a termination notice Monday, along with others in Lowell and Wareham.
The notice, which came from MassHealth, the state's Medicaid program, cited a string of failures at the facilities: poor adherence to infection control practices, including separating residents who tested positive for coronavirus and improper use of personal protective equipment. The facilities each had inadequate staffing ratios and in some cases refused support offered by the state to help during the outbreak.
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services also cited the facilities for poor coronavirus baseline testing and reporting compliance and a lack of coordination with state support and audits during the pandemic.
Hermitage has had 12 coronavirus-related resident deaths during the pandemic, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. That makes it one of 376 long-term care facilities statewide tohave reported at least one such death, with total deaths at those facilities at 5,504. That accounts for 65% of the state's 8,417 deaths through Sunday.
Hermitage's management didn't immediately return a call seeking comment.
The termination notices are the first step to eliminate a provider from the MassHealth program, which could result in the facility closing, MassHealth said. The facilities receiving notices Monday will have the opportunity to respond to the violations and the right to a hearing to dispute MassHealth’s findings.
The 101-bed facility has not been well reviewed for safety standards by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. It has received two out of five stars for health inspections and for staffing. It has four out of five stars for quality measures.
Hermitage has had 11 health citations, according to the federal health office, including in its most recent review in October for failing to ensure staff implemented an abuse policy and immediately report an allegation of sexual abuse among two residents.
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