San Francisco nursing home was called to order as at least four patients died. A nursing home that is operated by the city of San Francisco will stop discharging patients. This is as part of a closure plan that is mandated by the federal government. This decision was made after at least four patients died. This is within a few days or weeks of being moved from Laguna Honda Hospital to the city-run nursing home.
In 2021, two patients at the facility had overdoses that didn’t kill them. So, inspectors from the California Department of Public Health said the facility was “in a state of substandard care.” In April, the federal government’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services decided to stop paying Laguna Honda.
The government agency that pays for the medical care of most of the nursing home’s 700 residents has also told the home to start releasing or transferring patients. This is before it has to close in the middle of September.
The regulatory groups agreed to stop the transfers. This is according to a statement released by the Department of Public Health in San Francisco on Thursday.
The San Francisco Department of Public Health is seeking to get the nursing home recertified. This is before the closing date of September 13. However, the nursing home must still move or discharge all patients. This is in accordance with a closure plan before it can officially close its doors.
San Francisco nursing home called to order as at least four patients died
As a result of the difficulty in locating facilities that are able to meet the extensive medical requirements of the patients, the city of San Francisco, with the support of San Francisco’s representatives in Washington, including Senator Diane Feinstein, has requested that the federal Medicare and Medicaid agency halt all transfers from Laguna Honda Hospital. The city said that it has been hard to find facilities that can meet the needs of the patients.
Up until Thursday, Laguna Honda had either moved or released 57 people. Some of whom went to shelters for the homeless. At least four patients passed away within a few days or weeks of being relocated from Laguna Honda. This is according to reports from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Administrator of the United States Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Chiquita Brooks-LaSure told the newspaper that the agency will pause patient transfers and discharges “while an assessment occurs over the coming weeks.” She also mentioned that the agency sent a representative to the facility on Tuesday.
People who require long-term care but are unable to pay for private nursing homes are served by the huge institution, which was established in 1866. A large number of the patients have Alzheimer’s disease, are drug addicts, or have other serious medical needs.
Roland Pickens, the interim CEO of Laguna Honda, was quoted as saying in a statement, “We hope to continue serving San Francisco’s most disadvantaged inhabitants for another 150 years.” Laguna Honda has been in operation for the last 150 years.
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Medicare and Medicaid programs
In May, Senator Diane Feinstein made a request to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra, to reconsider the decision. That is, the decision of the federal agency to end Laguna Honda Hospital’s participation in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Also, to require the hospital’s most vulnerable patients to find new care elsewhere.
On Friday, Senator Feinstein stated that the hospital provides services. This is for a large number of patients who do not have any other options. She said that she hoped the federal agency would work with the city of San Francisco. This is to make the hospital better so that it can get back into the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
“These children will once again be put in danger when they are transported to other hospitals,” she said in a statement. “If (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) does not reconsider its decision, these patients will be forced to seek treatment elsewhere.” This is especially troubling in light of reports that some patients were transported to homeless shelters that lacked the resources necessary to offer essential medical treatment for those in need.
In a letter to patients and their families, Pickens said that it was not clear. That is, how long the hospital would stop transferring and releasing patients. According to what he wrote, “We are aware that the uncertainty is stressful, but we hope that this respite will offer our community some relief.”
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