Boston nursing facility sues former director, accusing him of mishandling more than $3 million
A civil lawsuit has been filed against the former director of the Benjamin Healthcare Center in Boston's Mission Hill neighborhood for allegedly siphoning funds from the facility for his own gain. Two other former employees have also been named in the suit.
The skilled nursing facility has faced an ongoing battle to remain open, when the former director Tony Francis abruptly announced it would close last year. Employees then sounded the alarm about alleged financial mismanagement of more than $3 million, some of it state and federal money, that Francis allegedly pocketed for personal items including travel, clothing, spa services and food.
Went weeks without paycheck
Mitish Mahulkar has been working as an occupational therapist at the facility for 12 years and said he often went weeks without a paycheck.
"There was incidents where I deposited my paycheck in the bank and realized later that it bounced, there was no funds to cover my payroll," said Mahulkar.
The facility was recently put into court-ordered receivership to help manage its debts.
"We're not going to get angry, we're not even going to be talking about getting even. What we want to do is be able to get what rightfully belongs to the Benjamin, and that's what we will pursue," said court-ordered receiver Joseph Feaster at a press conference Thursday announcing the civil lawsuit.
Concerns about patients
The Benjamin is nearly 100 years old, the only Black-founded, owned and operated nursing home facility in New England that now cares for 76 patients.
"Some of our residents have been here for greater than 10, 15 years, this is their home," said admissions director Leslie Henderson. "We were scared, we all became advocates for our residents."
Henderson is among the employees who raised concerns about alleged financial mismanagement. But the question that remains is whether the Benjamin is on borrowed time even if it can recoup some of the lost funds. Feaster said it will help but the facility still needs a more guaranteed revenue stream. Mahulkar says he can only hope for himself and his patients.
"It was almost like somebody has slapped you in your face. How can a human being do that to other human beings," said Mahulkar.
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