{"id":26335,"date":"2015-08-01T11:30:29","date_gmt":"2015-08-01T11:30:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/viconsortium.com\/?p=26335"},"modified":"2015-08-01T11:32:44","modified_gmt":"2015-08-01T11:32:44","slug":"seaview-nursing-home-to-shutter-as-part-of-cms-agreement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/?p=26335","title":{"rendered":"SeaView Nursing Home To Shutter As Part Of CMS Agreement"},"content":{"rendered":"

ST. THOMAS — The Kenneth Mapp administration has announced the results of negotiations between the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and the Government of the Virgin Islands in relation to the SeaView Nursing Home and Rehab Center, part of which calls for the shuttering of the mired facility.<\/p>\n

CMS terminated its provider agreement with the nursing home on June 30, but being the only private facility of its kind in the territory, the GVI scrambled to ensure that residents of SeaView continued to receive care.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe commissioner of Human Services, as well as the commissioner of Health, the attorney general and the administration are working to ensure that the 31 persons in SeaView are in fact safe and provided for,\u201d Mapp said at a press conference in Government House on June 30. \u201cWe have called for medical assessments of the individuals to determine there mobility or lack of mobility.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once given a five-star rating by CMS, Seaview was decertified by the same federal agency after a myriad of complaints filed by concerned citizens of late meals, negligence and even fights among residents.<\/p>\n

The facility was notified by CMS\u00a0Associate Regional Administrator William Roberson in early June that it would stop reimbursements for medicare and medicaid patients after June 30, because the nursing and rehab center had “failed to maintain compliance with Medicare requirements.”<\/p>\n

The report, seen here<\/a><\/span>, states,\u00a0\u201cBased on observation, review of facility complaints and investigations, and resident and staff interviews, it was determined that the facility failed to protect 1 of 14 residents from physical abuse inflicted by staff, and that caused a resident to sustain injury.”<\/p>\n

The report also noted that, \u201cbased on observation, interview and record review, it was determined that the facility failed to maintain residents\u2019 appearance in a manner that promotes their dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n

The above shows two of many inefficiencies cited in the CMS report. In 2009, Seaview received a five-star rating from the federal agency, however the latest review downgraded the facility to two out of five stars.<\/p>\n

Acting Attorney General James Carroll, Commissioner Vivian Ebbesen-Fludd and others from administration and CMS Attorney David Rawson in the Boston Regional Office, worked closely and intensely with Survey & Certification officials in the CMS Central and Regional Offices to craft a timely and effective settlement agreement, according to a press release Government House issued on Friday.<\/p>\n

The release further stated that on July 30, 2015, Dr. Alfred O. Heath, owner of Sea View Nursing Home, signed a settlement agreement with CMS in which the nursing home agrees to a number of important provisions, including:<\/p>\n