* Kurt Erickson…
A chain of long-term care homes owned by one of Republican Bruce Rauner’s former companies has faced lawsuits and critical state inspections stemming from the death and mistreatment of residents.
At a time when the wealthy political newcomer says he would run Illinois like a business if he wins the race for governor, a review of court records and inspection reports shows American Habilitation Services was put under the legal and regulatory microscope in a handful of states in connection with fatalities and unfit living conditions.
Among the problems outlined in court cases, state records and multiple media reports are the deaths of developmentally disabled residents in bathtubs, “deplorable” living conditions, sexual assaults and a failure by employees to stop residents from harming themselves.
The problems at the company are similar to those outlined in a series of reports that emerged during the March primary election about a Rauner-connected chain of nursing homes.
Rauner spokesman Mike Schrimpf said the millionaire businessman from Winnetka was not involved in the day-to-day management of the company.
* The Democratic Governors Association breaks down the deets…
1. Death of an 11-year old.
At the Thomas Care Center in Houston, 11-year-old Xavier Alexander Hegwood died after an older resident “viciously attacked’ him in a playroom. The Texas attorney general Greg Abbott, now a Republican candidate for governor, later filed a lawsuit to seize control of the facility from AHS.
2. “Individual 48″
Also in 2005 in Texas, a woman identified only as “Individual 48″ died after she was found unconscious and on the floor. She later died. Because of improper transfers, she had not been properly diagnosed with congestive heart failure, Abbott alleged.
3. Arizona Drowning
In 2004, the family of a developmentally disabled woman who drowned at an AHS facility was awarded a $45.5 million judgment after she was left alone in 2001 in a bathtub and drowned.
4. Employee Assault
Abbott sued the Rauner homes in 2003 after a female resident of a home in Austin was sexually assaulted by an employee. Abbott wrote, “Not enough was done by administrators of Indian Wells House to investigate the allegations or to protect their clients,…Now a 32-year-old woman has to live with the company’s failure to fulfill minimum standards set forth in Texas law. Nothing will fully restore this woman’s sense of security, but my office will hold these kinds of facilities accountable.”
5. Marco Group Home
The Florida Department of Children and Families in 2004 found that an AHS home failed to report a sexual assault and had overbilled the state. The facility also had “a lack of food,” according to the Lee Newspapers.
*** UPDATE *** Response from the Illinois Republican Party…
Pat Quinn is skipping a major African-American economic empowerment forum at Chicago State University that Bruce Rauner is attending. Instead, he is sending Paul Vallas to attack Rauner on issues on which the governor has fallen short.
Paul Vallas knows Pat Quinn has a major problem when it comes to turning a blind eye to abuse and sexual assault at state-run facilities like group homes, developmental centers and youth prisons. Many unanswered questions remain – perhaps Paul Vallas can clear up the following questions today:
Why Did Pat Quinn Turn A Blind Eye To The Abuse Of A Mentally-Disabled Man, Ultimately Leading To His Death?
Why Did Pat Quinn Turn A Blind Eye To Pervasive Sexual Assault In Illinois Youth Prisons?
Why Didn’t Pat Quinn Fire A Single Employee At The State-Run Howe Developmental Center Despite Revelations Of Widespread Neglect And Abuse?
The details are here.
- The Dude Abides - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 11:28 am:
I’d like to thank the Rauner spokesman for the clarification that Rauner is not involved in the day to day operations. He just buys companies and profits from companies that only care about making a profit and through their negligence are responsible for suffering and death of people they are being paid to take care of.
- Formerly Known As... - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 11:32 am:
And cue the response from Camp Rauner tying Quinn to the tragic deaths through DCFS, DHS and so on that the media has covered… sad.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 11:32 am:
This is still too raw of an issue for me from last Thanksgiving to January. I can’t speak to this how it may effect others, and I only know his it has impacted my family.
No matter the ownership, no matter the circumstances, people are people. That’s all I have.
- olddog - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 11:36 am:
Has that Texas litigation been adjudicated?
- wordslinger - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 11:38 am:
Just nasty, stomach-turning.
Sgt. Schultz knew nothing about what was going on in his business, but he sure banked the profits made on the margins of taking Medicaid money and neglecting society’s most vulnerable.
What a business model. Makes your skin crawl.
And he can keep claiming he didn’t know what was going, but Mr. Hands-on-businessman sure as hell wasn’t making sure that those folks were getting cared for properly on the taxpayer dime.
Never knows what’s going on: why is that a qualification to be governor?
- Anonymous - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 11:39 am:
Rauner needs to choose a lane. Is he an astute manager of businesses, which might prepare him to manage a state, or was he a passive investor, which might prepare him to run for Treasurer? This seems like Romney all over again - private equity investors trying to trade on the notion that that makes them a “businessman”, skilled at management, as opposed to investing.
- Taxandspendfolly - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 11:43 am:
This is a stupid, desperate attack: ‘Rauner kills Grandma”; it screams out. What about all the shootings in Chicago under Gov. Quinn? Under this logic, ‘Quinn kills youths’ , I suppose.
Really turns off thougtful people. Let us deal with the state’ s huge problems instead.
- ERB - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 11:44 am:
“I’ve been successful at everything I’ve ever done.” - Bruce Rauner, 6/13/14
- Chicago Cynic - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 11:49 am:
“Rauner spokesman Mike Schrimpf said the millionaire businessman from Winnetka was not involved in the day-to-day management of the company.” Yea, that ain’t gonna cut it. We now have a pattern of Rauner backed companies stripping resources from human services companies putting profits first. If the Quinnsters can’t do anything with this one, they might want to consider a different profession.
- Mighty M. Mouse - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 11:49 am:
Don’t you people understand? If you want to make an omelet (or a lot of money), you have to break a few eggs. Besides, Bruce had nothing to do with any of this. He had much bigger fish to fry.
Move along, all of you bleeding heart liberals. Nothing relevant to see here.
- Chicago Cynic - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 11:50 am:
Oh, and - “Taxandspendfolly - This is a stupid, desperate attack”
The trick to being a campaign troll is to be more subtle and creative. Really lame.
- PublicServant - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 11:51 am:
===Really turns off thougtful people. Let us deal with the state’ s huge problems instead.===
I thought we were trying to do that by determining where Bruce, who on the one hand touts his business accumen, and on the other disavows knowledge of shabby business practices of the companies he owns. Since he’s asking for our votes, I’d like to see just what his plans are for dealing with those huge problems too. To date, he hasn’t responded anywhere near adequately enough.
- Anon III - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 11:51 am:
It might be informative for Mr. Erickson to check out state and federal court records of lawsuits against the Illinois Department of Mental Health for sexual assaults, injuries and deaths of patients in the Department’s institutions. Have these injuries and deaths ever been an issue in gubernatorial elections for Republican and Democratic incumbents in the past? No, but maybe now is the time to examine the State’s record of care under Quinn and his predecessors.
- Cassiopeia - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 11:51 am:
If Rauner is guilty of mismanagement because of ownership of the nursing home company than Quinn is really responsible for the totally dysfunctional record at DCFS.
Quinn has done nothing to correct the DCFS ship. Nothing.
- Apocolypse Now - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 11:53 am:
This type of journalism, lazy reporting, is why people have lost faith in the media. According to this standard, Rahm Emanual should be held responsible for every death, guns or not, in Chicago and the Superintendent of Schools should be held responsible for every incident in every school. Please provide more facts and information to allow for an honest assessment of responsibility and accountability.
- too obvious - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 11:54 am:
Look people, Bruce is much too busy feeding his ego to worry about the disabled and elderly in the facilities he owns and profits from.
Yes, nothing more to see here.
- Willie Stark - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:01 pm:
Attention, Raunerbot dingbats: One key difference here is that Quinn and Rahm are not lining their personal pockets thanks to the suffering of the weak, frail and vulnerable. You’re either being purposefully obtuse or you are ghoulishly amoral if you really can’t see that. Talk about false equivalence. If the idea that the average voter who might end up in a nursing home or has a loved one who is one now will see things your way is a comfort to you, enjoy that feeling while it lasts.
- wordslinger - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:04 pm:
Cass, that’s the point. Quinn is responsible for and should be judged by his management of the executive branch.
Rauner is responsible for and should be judged by his management of his businesses.
The chutzpah of banking tens of millions every year based on the profitability of your businesses and then claiming no responsibility for them is breathtaking.
Where do you sign up for a gig like that?
- nightshade - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:04 pm:
Quinn desparate to manufacture some dirt. You would think rauner works in nursing home everyday and the folks deetedunder his care.
- Soccermom - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:08 pm:
Dear Team Quinn,
Rauner made his millions by looking the other way when his companies put profits ahead of basic decent care. People died on Rauner’s watch; he denies responsibility, but that didn’t keep him from cashing those checks.
Rauner wants to run the State of Illinois like a “business.” That’s scary.
- 47th Ward - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:08 pm:
Caring for the state’s most vulnerable populations is a primary responsibility of the executive branch that Mr. Rauner hopes to lead. If this is how his investment company managed nursing homes, imagine how a Rauner administration will manage them?
I’d love it if someone could pry from Mr. Rauner his plans for handling Medicaid and nursing homes in Illinois. Is that an area to cut, to privatize, to invest more, and if so, where and how? What best practices would Governor Rauner apply here? Is there legislation Rauner would offer to improve care and efficiency in Illinois-funded nursing homes?
This is a big fat budget and policy question draped against the backdrop of a failed model of privatization. We know how GTCR behaved in the nursing home business, how would Governor Rauner do things differently?
I won’t hold my breath waiting for an answer. Odds are, we’ll find out soon enough.
- Reality Check - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:08 pm:
It appears that the Rauner defenders here will never hold him accountable for anything.
Look at this new story in light of what we already know:
- Rauner’s firm CREATED — didn’t just passively invest in, but CREATED — companies to (1) buy up nursing homes and (2) buy up disability homes.
- Both of these companies Rauner’s firm created were FOR-PROFIT — unlike nearly all disability homes in Illinois, which are not-for-profit charities, Rauner’s firm created these two companies, and operated the nursing homes and disability homes under them, for the purpose of making money from Medicaid.
- In both the Rauner nursing homes and Rauner disability homes, there is a similar pattern of wrongful deaths, abuse, neglect, untrained staff, residents living in filth, and more.
- In both the Rauner nursing homes and Rauner disability homes, the companies created by Rauner’s firm have been found liable for multimillion-dollar jury awards connected to wrongful deaths.
- In both cases, Rauner’s firm placed principals on the companies’ boards of directors.
- In both cases, those members of those boards then are Rauner campaign contributors today.
- In both cases, Rauner pleads ignorance. As others have pointed out, if you duck accountability when things go wrong, you can’t claim credit when things go right.
- Taxandspendfolly - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:09 pm:
I am not sure I know what a. ‘campaign troll’ is; but I am not affiliated with any campaign. Just a guy disgusted with Illinois politics and the silly silly attacks being made.
- too obvious - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:09 pm:
FYI Rauner trolls, there is not an iota of evidence that Quinn ever personally profited from anything at DCFS, unlike Rauner who formed companies for the specific purpose of getting richer from nursing and long term care facilities.
And second, Quinn does not have control over state government in any way approaching the control Rauner has/had over those facilities as an owner.
- Pete - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:16 pm:
…not lining their personal pockets thanks to the suffering of the weak, frail and vulnerable.
_____________________________________________
Collecting a paycheck when your leadership has failed to balance a budget and get much needed services to the weak, frail, and vunerable is IMHO lining your pockets.
http://fortune.com/2014/06/10/most-corrupt-states-in-america/
Fortune has a nice article that basically highlights our methods in Illinois. Mega projects (I-355 expansion, Elgin O-Hare, I-90 reconstruction) at the expense of education and social services.
- Formerly Known As... - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:17 pm:
Cassiopeia and wordslinger both hit the heart of this.
If we say Rauner bears responsibility for any such death or abuse, then we must also say Quinn is responsible for any such death or abuse that took place under his oversight and on his watch. I do not know that is fair and would prefer discussing other matters, but if this is the debate our public and press want these candidates to have, so be it. As long as it leads to an improvement in our system and care for our people.
- Formerly Known As... - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:21 pm:
You have the ultimate authority as owner or governor. A governor runs public entities, an owner runs private entities.
Either both of them are responsible for the actions on their watch or neither are.
- too obvious - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:22 pm:
Seeing how silly the responses are from Rauner supporters on this leads me to confidently conclude that Rauner is in huge trouble.
- Norseman - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:26 pm:
In the spirit of this post:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UmzsWxPLIOo
- wordslinger - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:29 pm:
–You would think rauner works in nursing home everyday and the folks deetedunder his care. –
Well put.
I can’t decide if that’s a semi-literate Rauner troll or a Quinn troll masquerading as one to make Rauner supporters look bad.
Could go either way.
- Norseman - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:43 pm:
Definition of business ethics = revenue exceeds expenses is good despite any implications on people.
Definition of Rauner’s business ethics = revenue greatly exceeds expenses is good despite and we ignore and pretend that adverse implications on people don’t exist.
- OneMan - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:48 pm:
Interesting Quinn didn’t go to the thing at CSU…
Also interesting he sent Vallas (guess he is not working today) then again, might be worried Sheila Simon would go on her own.
- Blaire - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:49 pm:
Clearly, if Rauner can make all issues a wash between him and Quinn, Rauner wins (as Rich said in his column). It will be “he did it/he did it, too, only worse” all the way to the end. Brady couldn’t afford to burn in every foible; Rauner can. With DGA help, maybe Quinn can, too.
No one said it would be a cakewalk for either side.
- too obvious - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:50 pm:
So the GOP response is let’s put a guy in charge with a PROVEN record of profiting personally from human suffering. Brilliant.
- Chi - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:52 pm:
Correct me if I’m wrong, but on the Quinn/NRI threads, you don’t see many apologists, or people deflecting the bad news by saying “but look what Rauner did”. Says something that Rauner’s biggest fans can’t take any responsibility for their hero’s actions.
- Chi - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:54 pm:
=can’t take any responsibility for their hero’s actions.=
I mean, of course, that they can’t admit he did anything wrong. They excuse it and immediately point to some Quinn issue.
- Formerly Known As... - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:57 pm:
Does no one remember this? https://capitolfax.com/2012/06/28/criminal-inaction/ or this? http://www.bnd.com/706/
Some comments are blindly defending one candidate or another. It is impossible to successfully defend the indefensible, whether it be on Quinn’s behalf or Rauner’s.
- OneMan - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 1:06 pm:
Really, heck virtual every thread here regardless of what it ends up with someone complaining about Rauner, heck that is 90% of what some of the newer commentators do….
But as a ‘Bruce defender’ as it will, I will completely agree the nursing home thing isn’t a positive and is a a negative. If for no other reason getting into that industry is a minefield. I visit a few local nursing homes (not sure who owns/runs them all) as part of my roll at my church and I can say that is an industry where it would seems the risks would far outweigh the rewards.
- Formerly Known As... - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 1:07 pm:
Profit has no correlation to responsibility in this case.
Both have overseen institutions of death and abuse, albeit indirectly as governor and as owner. Either both are responsible or neither are. No double standards are appropriate here. None of the above in 2014.
- Willie Stark - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 1:17 pm:
Quinn lives in a modest, unassuming, standard Chicago house with an uncut lawn. Rauner owns nine high-end properties which, if this reporting is credible, were maintained with blood money. Rauner is Mr. Potter. The average voter is going to get that, Raunerbots. Throw out your articles from Fortune this or that and try to change the topic all you like. Any one of us could be a business “genius” and a moral monster if we are willing to let people die in their own filth and use some of the coin to purchase interests in pro-sports teams. But, Bruce grills on the 4th of July, just like any of the rest of us dumb schmucks. He’ll make a great gov!
- DuPage Rep - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 1:23 pm:
==Any one of us could be a business “genius” and a moral monster if we are willing to let people die in their own filth and use some of the coin to purchase interests in pro-sports teams.==
WOW, the political discourse in Illinois is really sad. Seems like Mr. Stark wants to bring back the guillotines. Too over the top.
- Samurai - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 1:30 pm:
This is just baloney…
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 1:33 pm:
It’s astounding how someone who’s helping lead a political party of less government and fiscal restraint is someone who gulped so massively at the public trough. Just when you think it can’t get any more hypocritical…
- Willie Stark - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 1:40 pm:
Sorry you prefer a sanitized version of reality, DuPage Rep. How impolite to bring morality into a discussion of business practices. Glad it wasn’t you or your relatives who suffered or died, but the people who did had people who loved and cared about them, too. Accountability for Quinn and all his programs, but not for Bruce and his arm’s-length management style? Voters are going to have to weigh and balance the serious shortcomings of both men, but I have to think the one that is alleged to have enriched himself directly as a result of the suffering of other human beings will be judged more severely. Donating money to good causes and hiding in the C-Suite doesn’t redeem callous indifference.
- DuPage Rep - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 1:48 pm:
Sorry you prefer a world view that the other guy must be evil. I do not like Quinn and believe him to be a horrible manager of the State that is capable of putting politics ahead of the public good, but I do not think he is evil or responsible for the sick and horrible actions at DCFS or the Illinois Youth Centers. When you have to demonize your opponent as being a “monster” you cheapen the political debate.
- oz - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 2:11 pm:
Reminds me of Rahm Emanuel and his Accretive Healthcare debacle and the Minn Attny Gen.
- Geneva Guy - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 2:16 pm:
It’s not unfair to criticize Rauner or Quinn somewhat on these elderly care issues. Personally, I think Quinn’s track record is more relevant because it comes as governor and involves a failure to secure funding. Regardless, this issue could use a lot less posturing and cynical emotional appeals.
Believe it or not, bad things happen more frequently to dying and mentally-challenged people without a family member to care from them. Whether you are paying for your care or relying on the state, you still are relying on someone who’s likely underpaid and overworked to keep your family member alive. Let’s not also forget that when you have an issue mixing the Plaintiff’s Bar, an Attorney General looking for higher office, a governor’s race, and the media, that’s a nice recipe for another cynical manufactroversy.
- too obvious - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 2:35 pm:
Attention shoppers, the asking bid for the Illinois Republican Party’s soul just took a tumble on Ebay.
- Gathersno - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 2:41 pm:
The only positive side to this political mudslinging is the attention that is called to the abuse of persons with developmental disabilities in both state operated institutions–which should have been phased out years ago–and nursing homes.
- sal-says - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 2:53 pm:
==Response from the Illinois Republican Party…==
Attacking the other guy IS NOT A RESPONSE.
A RESPONSE is answering the issues raised.
- Skeptic - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 3:50 pm:
“You have the ultimate authority as owner or governor” Except for that silly little Checks and Balances thing again…
- DuPage - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 3:59 pm:
@Pete12:16=Mega projects (I-355 expansion, Elgin-O’Hare, I-90 reconstruction)’ at the expense of education and social services.
I used to think the same thing. However, some commenters pointed out to me that all those Tollway projects are paid for by the tolls, not out of other funds.
- Formerly Known As... - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 4:07 pm:
“Except for that silly little Checks and Balances thing again…”
Oops. That’s right. Governor Quinn bears no responsibility whatsoever as the highest elected official in our state. It must be immensely difficult getting, say, an agency director confirmed when your same party controls both chambers as well as the Illinois Supreme Court. Either neither are culpable here or both are culpable.
- Commander Norton - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 4:41 pm:
Maybe Quinn really was sick, and that’s why he didn’t show… Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
In the meantime, this campaign has gone from chickens and Pinocchios to the schoolyard chant of, “I know I am, but what are you?”
- Skeptic - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 4:47 pm:
“as the highest elected official in our state.” Like I said, “Checks and Balances.” That means there is no such thing as a “Highest.” That’s the whole point. Sure, the D’s control the legislature. That doesn’t mean that Quinn commands them or that they answer to him. Same with the ISC. So comparing Quinn’s role at DHS (as a tax-payer sponsored program) and Rauner’s role in his companies (as a for-profit venture) is really apples to oranges.
- Pete - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 4:59 pm:
DuPage,
Good point. I should have cited large projects that aren’t toll funded.
Capital Building improvements.
Circle Interchange Reconstruction.
High Speed Rail.
O’Hare Airport Expansion.
Illiana Expressway
Peotone Airport
For more mega projects see the capital bill (Illinois Jobs Now)
I think those projects are needed, I just don’t think they should come before the bills for services that has already been rendered.
- Soccermom - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 5:25 pm:
I believe there is a real difference between a tragic failure to oversee vulnerable people who were endangered by their own family members — a failure that happened on the front lines — and a callous, calculating decision to buy facilities that provide care to the vulnerable, strip them of their operating funds and line your pockets with that money that was supposed to keep those people safe and cared for.
You can criticize Pat Quinn for lots of things - -and if you need some help, I’d be glad to share my own list — but “lining his pockets” — ha.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 5:39 pm:
FKA:
There are parallels, but they are not equivelant.
We know that Quinn responded to reports of mistreatment at Tinley and Joliet DJJ facility by shutting them down.
We know that Quinn fought to restore funding to a DCFS budget that had been decimated by years of cuts that placed kids in harm’s way.
We know that Quinn fought for and passed landmark nursing home reform legislation. A fact his campaign has not brought up yet that has me wondering whether they even know their own candidate’s record. I digress.
By contrast, I have yet to hear Bruce Rauner accept any responsibility for the neglectful deaths and injury that were inflicted by Rauner Inc, nor what he did in the aftermath to prevent their reoccurrence.
All we do really know is that Rauner supports restricting the rights of families like those who suffered while he cashed his dividend checks.
It is not a pretty picture.
- Formerly Known As... - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 5:46 pm:
“is really apples to oranges.”
Hardly. Either both are indirectly responsible for the actions that take place at these entities under their purview, or they are not. Whether these tragedies stem from profit or incompetence, they are inexcusable and unacceptable.
- Formerly Known As... - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 5:55 pm:
YDD: I appreciate the response and patient effort to get through my dense skull in this case lol. If nothing else, we agree that it is not a pretty picture. On either front.
PQ has done some good things over the years, but I do not believe they erase the terrible neglect and decisions that have also taken place on his watch any more than BR’s good deeds do. The Mental Health Center closures are a good example. Perhaps I am becoming overly jaded with our entire process? Take care.
- GraduatedCollegeStudent - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 10:10 pm:
To the pox on both houses camp:
Rauner was in a position, with his wealth, to make those homes better….although he likely would have lost money on the venture. Instead he chose to run them into the ground to get even more money that…well…I don’t think “leave the world in a better place when I’m gone” is high on his priority list.
Conversely, while DCFS has been horribly mismanaged, I’m not sure if the state had the money to spend to fix that problem.