The Florida nursing home in which a dozen patients died after Hurricane Irma has laid off its 245 employees and closed down, according to a notice from the state.
Staff at the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills did not vacate patients from the facility after the storm even though the air conditioners weren’t working. Causes of death haven’t been announced, but are believed to be heat-related because other patients were treated for such illnesses.
In a letter dated Sept. 27, and reported by the Sun Sentinel, the nursing home told state officials that it had closed its facility seven days earlier. It said that its workers, which included nurses and occupational, speech, and physical therapists, were let go.
“A 60-day notice could not be provided due to unforeseen business circumstances that occurred after the impact of hurricane Irma,” the letter said.
The state’s Agency for Health Care Administration, which oversees nursing homes, prohibited the facility from admitting new residents, halted its Medicaid payments, and revoked its license.
The deaths, which occurred in mid-September, triggered an ongoing criminal investigation by the police department in Hollywood, Fla., as well as administrative probes by state and federal agencies. A report by Florida Gov. Rick Scott found that staff at the facility did not report its patients were in danger when they had multiple calls with state officials.
