Atrium, Novant hoping to expand services in Cabarrus County
The state medical facilities plan says the area needs 126 more hospital beds by 2027.
ALSO READ: Carolina Strong: Novant program allows volunteers to show appreciation to veterans
According to the Charlotte Observer, both Atrium and Novant filed proposals.
Atrium wants to add a tower with 126 beds to its current hospital in Concord, while Novant wants to build a new facility with just 50 beds.
State law said if two or more hospitals are competing in an area, regulators must pick one.
VIDEO: Carolina Strong: Novant program allows volunteers to show appreciation to veterans
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Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Boston Globe
Arbitration agreements shield assisted living homes from accountability, some experts say
Advertisement E.J. Lococo, a retired federal agent, said he thought it meant arbitration would apply if 'someone stole my mother's Depends or CD player. . . . I didn't know [that] if you were going to kill my mother, we were going to go to arbitration.' Yet, Lococo alleges, that is exactly what happened. His mother, 80, died in August 2021 from pressure ulcers that her family alleges went untreated for months while she was at the Atrium. Her son filed a wrongful death suit against Benchmark Senior Living LLC, which operates Atrium, on behalf of her estate last year. But in March, a judge granted the facility's motion to dismiss all claims against it, ruling the estate was legally required to resolve them through binding arbitration. Advertisement Facing steep filing fees and the costs of paying an arbitrator, Lococo's lawyer, Michael Grace, said he decided not to pursue arbitration against Benchmark. He is, however, going forward with claims against two outside companies that provided medical care to Judith Lococo while she lived at the Atrium, and were not included in the arbitration agreement. The case underscores the impact of arbitration agreements, which are legal and common in the assisted living industry, but severely restrict residents from holding facilities accountable when something goes wrong, according to elder care lawyers and advocates. 'Americans are more likely to be struck by lightning than win in forced arbitration,' according to a 2019 report by the American Association for Justice, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization for trial lawyers. Moreover, critics say, residents of assisted living facilities and their family members don't realize the implications of what they're signing. They also don't have to put themselves in that situation: they are not required to sign arbitration agreements as a condition of admission, these critics said, and should not do so. Unlike court proceedings, an arbitrator is privately paid, usually with both sides sharing the expense, which can cost plaintiffs thousands of dollars. Court rules don't apply, meaning plaintiffs may not call as many witnesses or obtain as much evidence as they believe they need to support their case. The arbitrator, usually just one person, is supposed to be neutral. But critics say the facilities too often have a preexisting relationship with an arbitrator who is likely to favor their side. And when arbitrators do rule in favor of plaintiffs, judgments tend to be much lower than those awarded by juries. Advertisement In Lococo's case, the arbitration agreement even included a clause that would require the family to pay Benchmark's legal fees if it filed a lawsuit. Benchmark declined to comment on Lococo's allegations, but said in a statement released by its lawyer that it 'places its highest priority on the care, safety and well-being of our residents.' The lawyer, Joseph M. Desmond, said in an email, 'We stand firmly behind the quality of care we provide and our attentive staff, whose skills consistently receive high marks for resident satisfaction.' He added that Benchmark's policy is 'to offer a voluntary arbitration agreement to individuals moving into our communities' and that arbitration 'is entirely optional and not a requirement for residency.' The Massachusetts Assisted Living Association, which advocates for the assisted living industry in the state, said arbitration has the advantage of resolving disputes more quickly and at a lower cost than through litigation. Arbitration agreements can be negotiated and amended before a resident moves into a home, a spokesperson said. 'Residents and families sometimes select an option for arbitration when they move in so that if they have concerns they can resolve them in a way that is both timely and less costly than litigation,' said Brian Doherty, the group's president. The devastating blaze that killed 10 residents of an assisted living facility in Fall River in July drew attention to the lack of transparency in the industry, which in Massachusetts is more loosely regulated than nursing homes. And, critics say, arbitration agreements contribute to that lack of transparency because the proceedings are not public and settlements are confidential. Those conditions can obscure from public view problems and dysfunction at a facility, details that would come to light in court proceedings. Advertisement Arbitration agreements, so far, at least, appear not to be a factor in the Fall River case. 'It has not come up in our case at this point,' said Robin Gouveia, who filed the first lawsuit on behalf of a Gabriel House resident. Arbitration agreements also include a clause requiring that residents agree not to sue the home or seek other court remedies. 'There's a constitutional right to have a jury and an arbitration clause takes it away with the swipe of a pen,' said David J. Hoey, an attorney who has represented families alleging abuse and neglect at nursing homes and assisted living centers for more than 30 years. 'I've arbitrated enough cases to know that they're unfair to the injured party.' In 2019, he filed a wrongful death suit on behalf of the estate of a client who was allegedly shoved to the ground by another resident at an assisted living home in Danvers, broke his hip, and later died of complications from the injury. A judge dismissed the suit against the operators, citing an arbitration agreement. The arbitrator ruled in favor of Hoey's client. But he said the judgment of $360,000, was much less than Hoey believed a jury would have awarded. The state attorney general's office is drafting new consumer protections for the assisted living industry, but a spokesperson would not say whether changes to arbitration clauses are under consideration. As attorney general in 2017, now-Governor Maura Healey signed on to a letter with counterparts from 16 states that criticized arbitration agreements and opposed a federal proposal to lift a ban on their use in nursing homes. Advertisement The federal government lifted its ban on arbitration clauses in nursing homes following a legal challenge. Instead, in 2019 it adopted new requirements, prohibiting nursing homes from denying admission to anyone who refused to agree to arbitration and allowing residents or their representatives 30 days to change their mind if they do sign one. Assisted living facilities, which are not regulated by the federal government, are not bound by the same arbitration requirements as nursing homes, but generally have adopted the same standards, according to Hoey. A Massachusetts commission formed this year to consider new regulations for the industry recommended a ban on them as a condition of admission in a draft proposal. Other states differ on how they regulate such clauses. Hoey said the agreements aren't foolproof and can be challenged in court on various grounds, including if they were signed by a person who didn't have legal authority to represent a resident or was under duress. Lococo's son said he tapped into his retirement savings to pay for his mother's care, including more than $13,000 a month to the Atrium at Cardinal Drive. Several months after she moved, COVID-19 swept the country, and the facility was placed in lockdown. Lococo said there were staffing shortages and he feared his mother wasn't getting the care they were paying for, which included assistance with bathing, toiletry, and medical treatment. She fell several times in late 2020, and developed bed sores, according to the lawsuit. Advertisement But, Lococo said, nobody at the facility ever told him his mother had developed a pressure ulcer around May 2021 that had allegedly gone untreated. He said he learned of it when the family moved her to another facility three months later and a nurse sent him graphic photos of her wound, showing exposed bone. 'I was enraged,' Lococo said. His mother died days later. 'These places that call themselves assisted living fly under the radar. . . How is this not regulated?' Lococo's attorney, Michael Grace, said family members generally don't think about something bad happening to their relatives after spending so much time and emotional energy finding an assisted living home for them. They waive their right to sue, he said, because they're thinking 'it looks like a good place and nothing is going to go wrong.' Shelley Murphy can be reached at
Business Journals
01-07-2025
- Business Journals
Wake Forest's Charlotte campus redefines medical education with inaugural class
When Wake Forest University School of Medicine Charlotte opens this July, Charlotte will welcome its first class of 49 medical students to the new campus in The Pearl innovation district. The program will debut a pioneering, case-driven curriculum that immerses students in real-world patient scenarios from day one—reshaping how future physicians are trained. This campus builds on the Winston-Salem-based program and makes problem-based learning the cornerstone of its educational approach. Students and faculty at both campuses share resources, research opportunities and rotations. The connection allows students and faculty to tap into the full resources of the school across both locations, says Roy E. Strowd, M.D., vice dean for undergraduate medical education at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, who travels weekly between both sites. 'There's not that traditional lecture piece that many would be familiar with from their training,' Strowd said. 'The week starts with a case, and that becomes the springboard for self-guided instruction with faculty oversight.' The medical community's response has been unprecedented. When Strowd started recruiting for the first 30 teaching positions, he received nearly 170 applications. With enrollment expected to reach approximately 100 students per class over the next five years, the first Charlotte students will work with as many as 1,000 area physicians during their final two years of clinical rotations. expand Anatomy instruction relies on advanced tools rather than traditional cadaver labs, which allows students to learn anatomy longitudinally throughout their training rather than in isolated blocks. Students use virtual reality systems and plastinated specimens. (Plastination refers to the process of replacing water and fat in biological tissue with durable plastics.) The students also begin ultrasound instruction from day one. 'Wake Forest University School of Medicine is going to have the ability to really change the landscape of what we know about medical education,' Strowd said. The Charlotte campus' home at The Pearl sits just steps from Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, a Level I trauma and academic hospital. That proximity supports early clinical exposure through advanced technology and specialized services. The Pearl also hosts IRCAD North America, a world-renowned surgical training center providing expertise in robotics and minimally invasive surgery. Ensuring educational excellence across both locations remains a priority. The School of Medicine maintains consistent academic standards across both campuses. Graduates from Charlotte and Winston-Salem complete the same exams, residency match benchmarks and graduation requirements. Student performance in courses and phases is closely monitored and used to refine instruction. expand This expansion responds to a clear regional need. Charlotte was the nation's largest city without a four-year medical school. North Carolina also has one of the biggest rural populations in the country. The School of Medicine graduates enter primary care at high rates, and many stay in state for residencies. Once both campuses reach full enrollment, the Wake Forest University School of Medicine expects to graduate about 245 doctors per year, making it the largest medical school in the state by enrollment. The model also expands research opportunities for medical students in both cities, with students and faculty engaging in basic science work primarily in Winston-Salem and implementation-based projects in Charlotte. Character development remains central to the School's mission. Like the Winston-Salem campus, the Charlotte campus will focus on developing physicians who demonstrate intellectual humility, curiosity, compassion and courage through community integration and strategic partnerships. 'We're not reinventing what's happening in Charlotte's medical community, we're becoming integrated into what's already there and helping it grow,' Strowd said.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Local 7-year-old gets ‘new lease on life' after new gene therapy
A 7-year-old from Gastonia became the first child in the area to get a new gene therapy at Atrium Health after not even being able to stand on his own just a few months ago. Lucas Solano was diagnosed with an incurable muscle disease at a young age. Something as simple as walking up stairs wasn't possible for Salano before the therapy. 'When he was a baby, he was a toddler: completely normal, he would climb up the stairs, he crawled, he walked within normal age range, and then all of a sudden it was like he couldn't play outside, he would ask for help to get upstairs,' Mother Maria Solano said. Maria says her son was diagnosed with a muscle deterioration disease called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. ALSO READ: Atrium Health gives free health screenings to 2,000 student athletes However, Lucas' life changed about six months ago. He was the first at Atrium Health Levine Children's Hospital to receive the new gene therapy that produces a missing protein that helps build muscle. It's changed his life completely. 'He has a whole new lease on life,' Maria Solano said. The therapy is all about building muscle strength. 'The whole idea is that we are able to improve their muscle strength and be able to continue to walk for a longer period of time,' Dr. Urvi Desai said. Desai said children diagnosed with the disease can lose their ability to walk in their teens and die young and says the new treatment is allowing Lucas to live his best life, doing things he loves. 'There's always hope and he's a testament to that, Sergio Solano, Lucas' father, said. Lucas received treatment in December. Atrium Health says since then, 5 more children have received it. Atrium said three more children are set to get the therapy in August. (WATCH BELOW: Atrium Health launches home care program for pediatric patients)
