Barstow Veterans Home Likely to Receive Recertification as Skilled Nursing Facility
The state-run veterans home at Barstow, which lost federal certification and $5 million in federal funds to operate its skilled nursing facility in 2000, has passed a series of inspections and will likely begin to accept new patients who require skilled nursing care, the Los Angeles Times reports (Ingram, Los Angeles Times, 1/23). Reviews by a blue-ribbon panel from January to August 2000 found cases in which Barstow patients died from "apparent neglect," and the home also failed four certification surveys conducted by the federal government (California Healthline, 11/19/01). The federal government's decision to decertify Barstow as a skilled nursing facility cost the home $5 million in federal Medicare and Medi-Cal funds. Gov. Gray Davis (D) said Tuesday that Barstow had "passed all regulatory hurdles" in inspections conducted last November and earlier this month by the Department of Health Services (Los Angeles Times, 1/23). "I commend the staff at Barstow ... for their unceasing efforts to turn around past difficulties the facility has experienced," Davis said (Office of the Governor release, 1/22). Officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs and health services department said that they expect the federal government to issue final approval "soon" to allow Barstow to admit new patients who require skilled nursing care (Los Angeles Times, 1/23). Barstow will likely have Medicare and Medi-Cal funding restored retroactive to Jan. 11 (Office of the Governor release, 1/22).
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