The Daily Times

The owners of Colonial Hills Nursing Center intend to apply for a certificate of need to allow for a $15 million renovation and to reopen the Maryville nursing home that was closed following termination of its Medicare and Medicaid provider agreement.

The plan is to reopen Colonial Hills, located at 2034 Cochran Road, in the spring of 2013.

Beecher Hunter, president of Life Care Centers of America, said Thursday that preliminary sketches are being drawn for the remodeling of the building and a certificate-of-need package will be prepared for submission to the Tennessee Department of Health.

Cleveland-based Life Care Centers of America, corporate owner of Colonial Hills, was notified Dec. 22, 2011, that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services was terminating the Maryville facility’s provider agreement.

The nursing home was ordered to move all Medicare/Medicaid residents from the facility by Feb. 6.

That meant about 100 of the estimated 164 residents at Colonial Hills had to be moved. The owner decided to also move all private-care residents and to close the nursing home.

Colonial Hills was closed on Jan. 20 after the last two residents were transferred to other locations, Hunter said in a statement. The residents were moved to more than 20 nursing centers and assisted living facilities, and some residents returned to their homes.

“The transfer process was difficult for residents and their families, but the center staff and other agencies worked together to make the process as smooth as possible,” Hunter said.

“We are grateful to all the organizations and individuals who were involved, and all shared the same goal — to keep the well-being of the residents paramount.”

Colonial Hills Nursing Center was previously licensed for 203 beds. The certificate of need to renovate the facility will request the number of licensed beds be reduced from 203 to 120.

The number of private rooms would be increased from 23 to 90 as a result of the project.

The anticipated filing date of the application is Feb. 15. The estimated cost of the project is $14,963,593.

Provider agreement terminated

Prior to the termination of Colonial Hills’ provider agreement by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Tennessee Department of Health penalized Colonial Hills twice last year for violations found after complaints were filed. Penalties involved state and federal civil fines and suspensions of new admissions.

At a meeting held with residents and family members on Jan. 13, Vincent Davis, director of Health Care Facilities for the Tennessee Department of Health, outlined problems that led to termination of the provider agreement.

State officials said the corporate owner of Colonial Hills had been given chances to remedy the numerous deficiencies but failed to correct big problems.

One inspection determined there was the potential for harm to three residents, Davis said at the meeting. Some residents on the blood thinner Coumadin were given antibiotics, which could cause serious increased bleeding.

Violations found

Some other investigated incidents, noted by Davis:

• Aug. 19, 2011 — An employee used a cell phone to take a picture of a resident with a diaper on his head and then emailed the photo to others, including one person who was not an employee.

• Nov. 23, 2011 — A cook put 25 pounds of salt into 12 pounds of pureed beets as thickener instead of the 2 tablespoons of thickener called for in the recipe.

Eight residents suffered symptoms from the beet puree, two of whom had to be hospitalized for four to six days. One suffered from seizure and a coma and another had kidney problems.

• Nov. 26, 2011 — Two female residents, age 82 and 83, were sexually assaulted by a male visitor, who was not escorted from the facility and was allowed to return the next day. The administration took no action, Davis said.

• There was also a problem reported of an exit door to a smoking area being propped open on several occasions, and the administration was aware of that.

In his statement on Thursday, Hunter said, “Life Care Centers of America is fully committed to the Maryville and Blount County community. The refurbishment will make the building more functional for patient care, more homelike for resident’s enjoyment, and more attractive in design and furnishings.”

Requests for hearing

Upon written requests by interested parties, the state will hold a local fact-finding public hearing on the certificate-of-need application.

Written requests for a hearing should be sent to: Health Services and Development Agency, Andrew Jackson Building, 500 Deaderick St., Suite 850, Nashville, TN 37243.

Daily Times reporter Iva Butler contributed to this report.

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