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After pushing out two top employees, IDPH announces “top to bottom, independent review” of long-term care investigations

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Illinois

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration is replacing two top Illinois Department of Public Health officials in charge of the state’s efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 through nursing homes, WBEZ has learned.

* IDPH press release today…

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is announcing a top to bottom, independent review of its Bureau of Long-Term Care in the Office of Health Care Regulation, in response to a delay in the investigation of abuse and neglect complaints during the COVID-19 pandemic. Manatt Health Strategies, LLC, has been hired to conduct a top to bottom review of the division, with a focus on recommending best practices to ensure proper licensure and oversight activities by the Bureau of Long-Term Care. IDPH has also hired a former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, A. Courtney Cox, to take a closer look at specific investigations IDPH conducted into complaints made concerning long-term care facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. This review will inform IDPH’s efforts to improve existing procedures.

The independent reviews are being launched in response to IDPH’s recent discovery that the Bureau of Long-Term Care was not properly processing and investigating complaints of abuse and neglect at long-term care facilities from approximately March 15 to June 30, 2020. IDPH took immediate action to ensure all of the complaints received during this time period have been investigated. IDPH also took appropriate personnel action. […]

As soon as IDPH leadership identified that some abuse and neglect complaints had been improperly classified and not investigated in a timely manner, surveyors were directed to investigate all complaints of abuse and neglect that had not yet been investigated. Investigations for all of complaints of abuse and neglect that were received during that time period have now been completed. These investigations include an on-site visit, interviews with necessary individuals, review of relevant facility documents, and, where appropriate, confirmation that law enforcement had also been notified at the time of the incident alleged in the complaint.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 3:48 pm

Comments

The reviews now need expediency and solution based conclusions to make this type of a move impacting to the real time challenges still existing.

It’ll be worse if there’s only a review, couple thoughts, an admitting of mistakes… and not much else.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 3:58 pm
Wow!
Cynical me says he’s getting out in front of potential lawsuits and negative campaign ads, especially re Covid deaths.
OTOH, this seems a problem area that was raised many times in the daily briefs. While having no answers that rang true (to me), I understood he couldn’t throw anyone under the bus at the peak of the pandemic. Feels like he’s righting the ship now and it’s sincere.
Hope I’m right.

Comment by GregN Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 4:03 pm
IDPH could have the best employees in the country, but until the law has real teeth (looking at you, General Assembly), the regulations have real teeth (looking at you, JCAR) and the regulators are empowered and staffed (investigators, lawyers) to pursue complaints like tigers (looking at you GO), this is all window-dressing.

Comment by Rasselas Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 4:12 pm
Smart politics - get ahead of an issue before it gets you. The leadership shuffle may serve as a deflection of criticism of JB response to COVID-19 practices in nursing homes.

Comment by Donnie Elgin Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 4:17 pm
Good on them for trying to figure out what went wrong. Very bad on them for letting it get that bad during COVID to begin with. Folks at the top should be paying attention to these details.

Comment by Red Skeptic Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 4:21 pm