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Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Status of 2024 earmarks uncertain
Mar. 22—MORGANTOWN — The continuing resolution signed into law this past week averted a government shutdown, but may have closed the door on a number of projects across West Virginia. As previously reported, the temporary spending plan did not include any fiscal year 2025 congressionally directed spending, or earmarks, totaling hundreds of millions of dollars across the Mountain State. Now, local officials are questioning the status of yet-to-be-received funds awarded as congressionally directed spending from FY 2024. The Dominion Post reached out to WVU after the university made an emergency request to the Morgantown Monongalia Metropolitan Planning Organization to amend its Transportation Improvement Plan to reflect a change in funding for upcoming improvements to the university's Personal Rapid Transit system. The university had been awarded $6.4 million in congressionally directed spending in the FY 2024 appropriations cycle for the work. The funds were to be used as part of a multi-year overhaul of the transit system, including aesthetic and infrastructural updates to stations, platforms, staircases, elevators and guideway components. "Currently, a lot of those grants are frozen, including this PRT grant, " MPO Executive Director Bill Austin said. "WVU would like to continue with that work. That's about $3 million worth of work they were hoping to get done this summer. So, working with the [Federal Transportation Administration ] they figured a way to shift some funds around from the next fiscal year so they could accommodate that work." But that was just one of many FY 2024 earmarks anticipated by WVU, the city of Morgantown and other local agencies that have yet to materialize. WVU Executive Director of Communications April Kaull said the university is working with Sen. Shelley Moore Capito's office "to better understand the potential impacts and are hopeful that funding will be available for important university and related projects and initiatives." Morgantown City Councilor Danielle Trumble was part of the Morgantown delegation that traveled to Washington D.C. earlier this month for the National League of Cities Congressional City Conference. Trumble, who met with Capito while in D.C., said she was surprised to learn the 2025 congressionally directed spending was being eliminated. When asked about the 2024 funding, Trumble said she left the conference concerned about any federal funding that's been announced but not received. "I think that it's not automatically gone like fiscal year 25, but other grants that the city has been awarded seem to be frozen, and I think we should be moving forward with the assumption that they are not guaranteed any longer, " she said. "The fiscal year 25 congressionally directed spending is certainly gone now, but I'm concerned about any other money that we don't already have in hand. I think the freeze is affecting a lot more than fiscal year 2025, and even more than just earmarks." Capito's office previously told The Dominion Post the continuing resolution only eliminated the 2025 congressionally directed spending requests. "Senator Capito understands the frustration, and she shares in that frustration, but remains committed to supporting initiatives that benefit West Virginia, " Capito Communications Director Kelley Moore said.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Local health systems oppose repeal of Certificate of Need
Mar. 10—dbeard @ MORGANTOWN — The years-long effort to repeal the Certificate of Need process for healthcare facilities and equipment took a blow on Feb. 24, but not a fatal blow, according to Gov. Patrick Morrisey. As Morrisey continues his push for repeal, the Dominion Post talked with Mon Health, WVU Medicine and the West Virginia Hospital Association for some local perspective on CON. But first, some background on what CON is. The state Health Care Authority oversees the CON process. All healthcare providers, the HCA explains, unless otherwise exempt, must obtain a CON before adding or expanding health care services ; exceeding the capital expenditure threshold of $5, 803, 788 ; obtaining major medical equipment valued at $5, 803, 788 or more ; or developing or acquiring new health care facilities. The CON program was enacted in 1977 and put under the HCA in 1983. The HCA says its goals are to control health care costs, improve the quality and efficiency of the healthcare system, encourage collaboration and develop a system of health care delivery that makes health services available to all residents of the state. The CON process, HCA says, is often associated with cost containment measures. It also, by legislative intent, allows for health services to be provided in an orderly, economical manner that discourages unnecessary duplication. HCA says some states have repealed their CON statutes, but 36 states and the District of Columbia retain some form of review. Three states limit their review to long-term care. CON review includes the determination of need, determined using CON Standards, which generally include population-based quantifiable need methodologies ; consistency with the State Health Plan ; and financial feasibility, which includes the evaluation of the reasonableness of proposed charges to patients and the determination if the expense and revenue projections demonstrate fiscal viability for the proposed project. Other review criteria include quality, accessibility, and continuum of care. HCA says, "The advantage of CON programs to the public is that they encourage accountability by providing an avenue for public comment, discourage or limit unnecessary services, and promote community planning. In West Virginia, the CON program offers some protection for small, often financially fragile, rural hospitals and the underinsured population they serve by promoting the availability and accessibility of services and, to some extent, the financial viability of the facility." The repeal effort This is not the first year that a CON repeal bill has been introduced, but it is the first year it was introduced on behalf of the governor. Morrisey's bill took form in twin Senate and House bills: SB 453, which is sitting idle, and HB 2007, which died in a procedural move in House Health on Feb. 24. Morrisey said later that week that he believes the majority of lawmakers agree with him that CON needs to be repealed. As Ogden News' Steven Adams reported, Morrisey said, "I want to protect citizens that are in need, and I want there to be a viable private health care marketplace. Right now, we're going in a direction where that's not happening. That's going to change. We're going to continue to push for policies that make a difference that put the people first, not the special interest. That's what we're working on." The Dominion Post contacted Morrisey's office for an update on his plans and they passed along his statement, "The fight to repeal Certificate of Need is not over. West Virginia currently pays more for hospital services than all but one state — while experiencing the worst healthcare outcomes. We must reduce the unaffordable price of healthcare and increase consumers' access to the services they depend on." His office said to expect future announcements on this front. A conservative coalition of the Cardinal Institute, Institute for Justice and AFP West Virginia backs Morrisey, saying CON laws hinders healthcare access, increase healthcare costs, lengthen wait times and lower quality of care, especially in rural areas. States that have repealed CON have seen no negative effects. The coalition says, "In short, CON laws are holding every West Virginian back from better access to more quality healthcare." But the healthcare professionals disagree. To some extent, they offer the same reasons for supporting CON, but we give each their own voice here. Mon Health System David Goldberg is president and CEO of Mon Health System and Davis Health System — Vandalia Health Northern Region, and executive vice president of Vandalia Health. He testified in favor of CON before the House Health Committee. He told The Dominion Post that he's worked in CON and non-CON environments, and it's a complex issue. About 75 % of West Virginians are covered by Medicare, Medicaid or PEIA, he said. "Certificate of Need covers the ability for us and our health systems and providers to be balanced, where we build things to be able to generate the revenue that's appropriate to invest in our healthcare system in balance." Without CON protections, he said, we could see providers putting everything in the more economically focused markets — such as the panhandles and the Morgantown-Clarksburg corridor. "You have health systems in Kentucky who would love to come over the border to reach into the southern quadrant of the state and be able to expand their reach. Will they have this in focus ? We do, on taking care of our own in West Virginia." Goldberg noted that there are no CON prohibitions from opening private practices. For instance, UPMC recently bought some MedExpress assets in order to build some urgent care centers. So there is competition, but CON prevents organizations from coming in with freestanding radiology centers that could harm small neighboring hospitals by draining their revenues. "For example, I have something that comes right into Monongalia County, that starts to negatively impact my ability to generate revenue. How do I support the Preston Memorials, the Webster hospitals and Webster Springs, the Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital that are predominantly Medicare Medicaid, then don't cover costs to begin with. So I think we have to be balanced." Goldberg said they've shared with Morrisey and the Legislature, "We think there's ways to modernize. We think there's ways to collaborate. We all want to improve our outcomes and improve the affordability and the cost structure, but Certificate of Need in a state like West Virginia, it maintains the ability of balance, and we need to have that, because the northern part of the state is not the same as the east, the west or the south." Goldberg said health systems across the state are planning more than $1 billion in healthcare infrastructure across the next five to 10 years. So there is competition already. "I think that competition makes us that much better for the communities we serve, but we want to be balanced in how we compete." Goldberg concluded, "I am mandated by the federal government, the state government and some locals how I operate. My reimbursement is set by contracts with payers, Medicare, Medicaid and PEIA. We are mandated and rightfully take care of our patients, regardless of their ability to pay, so it is not a free market. ... And I think let's modernize Certificate and Need, let's find ways to collaborate and do that." WVU Medicine We reached out to WVU Medicine for its views and were connected with Candace Miller, president and CEO of WVU Medicine Jackson General Hospital. A native West Virginian, Miller said she worked her whole career in Ohio, coming to WVU Medicine last June from a large system based out of Columbus. And when she got here, "The first thing I started scratching my head on was Certificate of Need. I was like, well, this is crazy. Why in the world do we do this ? This is, this is nothing but red tape, stupid, bureaucracy kind of thing." But it didn't take long for her to figure out, she said, that West Virginia is very different from other states. Without CON, her rural, critical access hospital would be at risk. Critical access hospitals must meet criteria set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Among the criteria, they must be located in a rural area either more than 35 miles from the nearest hospital or more than 15 miles in areas with mountainous terrain or only secondary roads ; maintain no more than 25 inpatient beds that can be used for either inpatient or swing-bed services ; and furnish 24-hour emergency care services seven days a week. Critical access hospitals receive higher federal reimbursements than other hospitals, though still less than the cost of delivering care. Miller explained, "Let's say a small hospital was built right beside me, and it's defined by five beds or more. I would lose my critical access hospital designation. ... If I lose my designation, I immediately start running in the negative." And operating margins here are slim, she said: 14 % where she previously worked, 2 % in West Virginia. Ohio has 250 hospitals of which 33 are critical access, she said. West Virginia has 72 hospitals total, with 21 of them critical access. And Ohio has 11.8 million people, compared to West Virginia's 1.7 million. "So, why does all that matter ? It matters because when you have a limited amount of people to serve, like we have in West Virginia, when you have these rural areas, like we have in West Virginia, you can pretty much, if you're big healthcare, big system, deep pockets, you can bully other providers out. And that limits access." Without CON, she said, a company could come in and set up a surgery or imaging center — two of the biggest-profit operations — and put a critical access hospital that has to provide more services out of business. "No one's going to come in and set up a business, a health care service line that's not going to make money. You just can't." Miller takes issue with repeal proponents who cite West Virginia's poor health statistics as a reason for repeal. West Virginia tops the nation proportionally for obesity and smoking — issues not tied to proximity to a healthcare facility. "And so it's not fair to say the limited access to care equals poor health outcomes when you're not taking into consideration other facts that play into poor health outcomes for our state." West Virginia Hospital Association Jim Kaufman is president and CEO of the WVHA. CON, he said, is a valuable tool used by states for appropriate health care planning, such as a sufficient population to support that program, and the overall impact on the delivery system in the state. Setting up a facility next to another one may simply drain the resources of the first one, he said, reducing access to care instead of increasing it. But a CON review can take into consideration location, and economic and healthcare impacts. "Now you have an understanding and you're making an informed decision because it has an impact on another hospital that will change their financial status and potentially threaten or weaken that facility, " he said. "So now, from a statewide planning perspective, you're making an informed, rational decision. That's appropriate planning." Kaufman said he appreciates that the Legislature is looking at this and gaining an understanding that healthcare is unique and unlike other sectors of the economy. "But we also applaud the governor because he recognizes that two of the biggest challenges with the West Virginia healthcare delivery system is workforce and our payer mix. We applaud the governor and his efforts to expand the state's economy and to get creative in trying to attract more people to the workforce. Which raised another issue: a healthcare professionals shortage, he said. It's national, but West Virginia's challenges include the high proportion of residents — 75 % — relying on government-backed insurance that pays less than the cost of care. The national average is 40.5 %. "So that's going to be a challenge right there when offering competitive salaries and keeping those professionals in the state, " he said. Another is the state's rural nature. "You actually need patient populations to support programs, which is part of the Certificate of Need discussion." Commercial insurance pays above cost, which allows institutions to support other programs, community needs, and cross subsidize the underpayment on the governmental side, he said. But if you have a high proportion on government programs, you have fewer resources to offer competitive salaries, to reinvest in capital. Kaufman concluded, "The hospitals all across West Virginia are really working hard and getting very creative to expand services. They're working together — you're seeing hospitals sharing certain specialists because there may not be enough volume in one community. Collectively, he said, the hospitals have invested more than $3 billion in new construction, new facilities, and new services. "I think they're really trying to address the real issue of how do you expand access. Touching on an issue Miller raised, tacking obesity, he said obesity efforts and hospital efforts are not the same. "Hospitals are working to improve the health of their community with the whole goal that they won't need healthcare services, because they get healthy. I think that's another piece that people forget, that is part of the delivery system that you could lose if you allow these cherry picking of services that the elimination of CON can bring."
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Yahoo
Case of former Hopemont Hospital nurse assistant accused in resident's scalding death goes to Preston County grand jury
Mar. 6—EDITOR'S NOTE — The Dominion Post reporter David Beard is not related to Kylah Beard, the defendant in this case. dbeard @ KINGWOOD — The case of a former Hopemont Hospital certified nursing assistant charged in the scalding death of a resident will head to Preston County Circuit Court. Magistrate Patricia Grimm found probable cause to put Kylah Beard's case before a grand jury following a Thursday preliminary hearing that ran about 90 minutes. She is charged with malicious neglect of an incapacitated adult causing death Hopemont resident Larry Hedrick was a nonverbal 61-year-old with dementia and other medical conditions who required total care. On the night of Jan. 4, 2024, he suffered severe burns in a whirlpool bath that led to his death at West Penn Burn Center on Jan. 12. Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit Investigator Terry Keelin testified for the state. He said Hedrick had been a resident there since 2017, following an arrest that led to his being sent to Hopemont. Keelin didn't supply details of the alleged crime or the case. The investigation included footage from three camera in the hallway that ran between the nurse station and the tub room across the hall, he said. Beard took Hedrick into the tub room at 7:12 p.m., and came in and out of the room — leaving Hedrick alone — three times, for a few seconds each time. The camera footage did not make clear what Beard was doing, he said, but there was a cart in hall and she may have been getting something off of it. At about 7:20, Keelin said, Beard came out and spoke to another CNA who came into the tub room with her. Beard wanted her help adjusting the water temperature. For whatever reasons, she hadn't seen the temperature gauge. That CNA came out about eight minutes later. Beard came out again and contacted yet another CNA who came into the room with Beard. The CNA who first came in with Beard later testified that the gauge on the tub showed a water temperature of 134 degrees Fahrenheit. The water level was up to Hedrick's shins. Regulations prohibit a water temperature above 104 degrees. Keelin said the water was drained from the tub by the time the second CNA entered the room. Beard and two other CNAs took Hedric back to his room to treat his burns Questions for Keelin by Prosecuting Attorney Jay Shay brought mention of the other defendant in this incident, Registered Nurse Delilah Clyburn-Hill, into the narrative. Keeling said Clyburn-Hill told the CNAs to leave Hedrick in the tub. While not saying anything, Hedirick was indicating his pain by rubbing his legs and scraping his skin off. He did not receive any pain medication until two hours after he entered the tub room. Defense attorney Dayton Meadows brought to the stand former Hopemont buildings and grounds manager Dennis Reckhart to pursue a line of thought that faulty equipment played a role in the incident. Through a long series of questions, Reckhart explained that each hot water tank for the hospital has two thermostats, one for each tank element. The thermostats are made to close if the water temperatures exceeds 120 degrees. From the tanks, the water flows to a nearby mixing valve where it mixes with cold water and then circulates through the hospital's miles of pipes. The water typically runs about 118 degrees and cools as it flows, dropping from 102 to 111 degrees by the time it reaches a floor. They hadn't had any problems with thermostats for years, Reckhart said, but shortly before the incident one of his staff had talked with the supplier who recommended they keep a spare in stock because malfunctions are unpredictable. He ordered a replacement and gave it to the employee. Reckhart said he assumed the employee had replaced one of the thermostats, but also said they had no indication any of them were faulty until the night of the incident, when one on top of a tank failed and allowed excessively hot water into the pipes. Reckhart said he wasn't on duty that night but was called in afterward and stayed on site for 18 hours. He said that he was placed on leave during the investigation and was cleared of any wrongdoing, but was never put back on the work schedule. That forced him to give his notice and find another job. Meadows attempted to use the faulty thermostat as the reason for the 134 degree water entering the tub. But Shay noted Reckhart's testimony that the tub also has a mixing valve, similar to a home shower, that allows the person filling the tub to control the water temperature. Meadows said Beard's actions didn't rise to the level of criminal responsibility. She sought help when she realized the water was too hot and the situation was outside of her control. Shay said Beard left the room three times and failed in her duty of care. All she had to do was look at the tub's temperature gauge and turn the mixing valve knob. "To say it was out of her control is preposterous." Issuing her decision, Grimm told Beard that binding her case over to a grand jury was not a finding of guilt or innocence. She simply found probable cause for the grand jury to hear it. Beard and Clyburn-Hill face the same charges. Magistrate Bo Ward last month found probable cause to bound Clyburn-Hill's case over to a grand jury. They face fines of up to $5, 000 and 5-15 years in prison if convicted.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Yahoo
Case of former Hopemont Hospital nurse assistant accused in resident's scalding death goes to Preston County grand jury
Mar. 6—EDITOR'S NOTE — The Dominion Post reporter David Beard is not related to Kylah Beard, the defendant in this case. dbeard @ KINGWOOD — The case of a former Hopemont Hospital certified nursing assistant charged in the scalding death of a resident will head to Preston County Circuit Court. Magistrate Patricia Grimm found probable cause to put Kylah Beard's case before a grand jury following a Thursday preliminary hearing that ran about 90 minutes. She is charged with malicious neglect of an incapacitated adult causing death Hopemont resident Larry Hedrick was a nonverbal 61-year-old with dementia and other medical conditions who required total care. On the night of Jan. 4, 2024, he suffered severe burns in a whirlpool bath that led to his death at West Penn Burn Center on Jan. 12. Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit Investigator Terry Keelin testified for the state. He said Hedrick had been a resident there since 2017, following an arrest that led to his being sent to Hopemont. Keelin didn't supply details of the alleged crime or the case. The investigation included footage from three camera in the hallway that ran between the nurse station and the tub room across the hall, he said. Beard took Hedrick into the tub room at 7:12 p.m., and came in and out of the room — leaving Hedrick alone — three times, for a few seconds each time. The camera footage did not make clear what Beard was doing, he said, but there was a cart in hall and she may have been getting something off of it. At about 7:20, Keelin said, Beard came out and spoke to another CNA who came into the tub room with her. Beard wanted her help adjusting the water temperature. For whatever reasons, she hadn't seen the temperature gauge. That CNA came out about eight minutes later. Beard came out again and contacted yet another CNA who came into the room with Beard. The CNA who first came in with Beard later testified that the gauge on the tub showed a water temperature of 134 degrees Fahrenheit. The water level was up to Hedrick's shins. Regulations prohibit a water temperature above 104 degrees. Keelin said the water was drained from the tub by the time the second CNA entered the room. Beard and two other CNAs took Hedric back to his room to treat his burns Questions for Keelin by Prosecuting Attorney Jay Shay brought mention of the other defendant in this incident, Registered Nurse Delilah Clyburn-Hill, into the narrative. Keeling said Clyburn-Hill told the CNAs to leave Hedrick in the tub. While not saying anything, Hedirick was indicating his pain by rubbing his legs and scraping his skin off. He did not receive any pain medication until two hours after he entered the tub room. Defense attorney Dayton Meadows brought to the stand former Hopemont buildings and grounds manager Dennis Reckhart to pursue a line of thought that faulty equipment played a role in the incident. Through a long series of questions, Reckhart explained that each hot water tank for the hospital has two thermostats, one for each tank element. The thermostats are made to close if the water temperatures exceeds 120 degrees. From the tanks, the water flows to a nearby mixing valve where it mixes with cold water and then circulates through the hospital's miles of pipes. The water typically runs about 118 degrees and cools as it flows, dropping from 102 to 111 degrees by the time it reaches a floor. They hadn't had any problems with thermostats for years, Reckhart said, but shortly before the incident one of his staff had talked with the supplier who recommended they keep a spare in stock because malfunctions are unpredictable. He ordered a replacement and gave it to the employee. Reckhart said he assumed the employee had replaced one of the thermostats, but also said they had no indication any of them were faulty until the night of the incident, when one on top of a tank failed and allowed excessively hot water into the pipes. Reckhart said he wasn't on duty that night but was called in afterward and stayed on site for 18 hours. He said that he was placed on leave during the investigation and was cleared of any wrongdoing, but was never put back on the work schedule. That forced him to give his notice and find another job. Meadows attempted to use the faulty thermostat as the reason for the 134 degree water entering the tub. But Shay noted Reckhart's testimony that the tub also has a mixing valve, similar to a home shower, that allows the person filling the tub to control the water temperature. Meadows said Beard's actions didn't rise to the level of criminal responsibility. She sought help when she realized the water was too hot and the situation was outside of her control. Shay said Beard left the room three times and failed in her duty of care. All she had to do was look at the tub's temperature gauge and turn the mixing valve knob. "To say it was out of her control is preposterous." Issuing her decision, Grimm told Beard that binding her case over to a grand jury was not a finding of guilt or innocence. She simply found probable cause for the grand jury to hear it. Beard and Clyburn-Hill face the same charges. Magistrate Bo Ward last month found probable cause to bound Clyburn-Hill's case over to a grand jury. They face fines of up to $5, 000 and 5-15 years in prison if convicted.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Two former Hopemont employees charged with felonies in scalding death of incapacitated patient
Jan. 29—EDITOR'S NOTE — The Dominion Post reporter David Beard is not related to Kylah Beard, one of the accused in this case. dbeard @ MORGANTOWN — Two former Hopemont Hospital employees were charged on Wednesday with malicious neglect of an incapacitated adult causing death. They face fines of up to $5, 000 and 5-15 years in prison if convicted. Kylah Beard, certified nursing assistant, of Morgantown, and Delilah Clayburn-Hill, registered nurse, of Buckhannon, were arraigned Wednesday in Preston County Magistrate Court. A preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 14. The case involves a nonverbal 61-year-old Hopemont patient, Larry Hedrick, with dementia and other medical conditions who required total care, and suffered severe burns in a whirlpool bath on Jan. 4, 2024. He subsequently died in Pittsburgh. Former Attorney General Patrick Morrisey (now governor) announced on Jan. 8 this year that the AG office's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit had filed criminal charges against the two. The fraud unit investigated the case and recommended the charges, which were approved by and will be prosecuted by Preston County Prosecuting Attorney Jay Shay and his team. Medication Fraud Control Unit Investigator Terry Keelin submitted the criminal complaints for Beard and Clayburn-Hill. Beard's complaint says she "intentionally and maliciously failed to provide the care necessary to Larry Hedrick's physical safety or health." Clayburn-Hill's lengthier complaint also cites the intentional and malicious failure. It says she failed to conduct a nursing assessment following the incident. She also failed to identify changes in Hedrick's health status or to comprehend clinical implications of his signs symptoms and changes. She failed to apply nursing knowledge, the complaint says, and failed to implement appropriate treatment for the injuries, including administering pain medication. She failed to demonstrate attentiveness and monitoring, and failed to explain to the doctor the severity of Hedrick's condition. "Hill intentionally and maliciously failed to take preventative measures to protect the patient by allowing Hedrick to suffer from burns and blisters for hours without providing appropriate medical intervention, " the complaint says. Morrisey's Jan. 8 announcement adds more details. Hedrick was placed in a whirlpool bath and subjected to hot water temperatures of 134 degrees Fahrenheit and suffered multiple burns. He was transferred to Preston Memorial where it was determined he had second-degree burns across 35 % of his body. Morrisey said that the fraud unit's investigation determined Beard helped Hedrick into the tub to give him a bath, but she unreasonably failed to check the water temperature gauge, allegedly leaving Hedrick, who required round-the-clock care, submerged in the 134-degree water for 47 minutes. That lengthy exposure to the scalding hot water caused second-and third-degree burns, blisters on the man's feet and legs and peeling of his skin. Clayburn-Hill was informed about the burns and blisters, but investigators identified multiple failures in her care. Following Hedrick's transfer to Preston Memorial, he was taken to West Penn Hospital Nursing-Burn Trauma Unit. He succumbed to his injuries Jan. 12, 2024. Morrisey said the fraud unit "is continuing to investigate the alleged actions of other individuals who did not provide 'hands-on' care to Hedrick on that date, but whose actions also may have allegedly violated the state's criminal statutes. If so, the MFCU will report those findings to the Preston County Prosecuting Attorney for his review and consideration." Legislators learned in May 2024, from the state Office of Inspector General, that along with Beard and Clayburn-Hill, another nursing assistant and a maintenance supervisor were no longer employed at Hopemont. They learned at that time that on Jan. 11, 2024, Hopemont adopted a bathing policy which includes taking water temperatures prior to individual resident bathing to ensure a temperature of no higher than 110 degrees, and supervision of residents during bathing to prevent harm. They also learned that a March 26, 2024, follow-up report said, "The facility was found to have corrected the previously cited deficient practices."
