Elizabeth Leis Newman, Senior Editor

 

SNF that kept prison inmates constituted 'immediate jeopardy' for residents, state says

An Oklahoma nursing home was slapped with $168,000 in fines after taking in jailed inmates following a prison riot.

The state Health Department said the arrangement was “bizarre and reckless,” The Oklahoman reported last week. The department said the residents at Buena Vista Care and Rehabilitation Center were in “immediate jeopardy” during the month the inmates were at the center. Immediate jeopardy interpretations can vary by state or an inspector, prompting industry groups to ask for clarification.

The North Fork Correctional Facility inmates were under guard and shackled to their beds, a spokesman for the prison operator, Corrections Corporation of America, told the paper. They had sustained severe injuries during the October 2011 riot and it was recommended by medical professionals that they go to a skilled nursing facility, he said. 

Buena Vista received a total of $347,450 in fines following a March inspection, and is appealing the case.