Florida Nursing Home Ombudsman Brian Lee Replaced by Jim Crochet in Clash With Governor Rick Scott; Federal Administration of Aging Investigating
After repeated clashes with the nursing home industry and Florida Governor Rick Scott, Florida's nursing home ombudsman, Brian Lee, was replaced by health and human services veteran Jim Crochet, the Miami Herald and Associated Press reported yesterday, April 25, 2011:
Ousted Fla. nursing home ombudsman successor named
The Associated Press
April 25, 2011
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- A replacement has been named for the Florida nursing home ombudsman who was ousted in a clash with Gov. Rick Scott's administration.
Interim Department of Elder Affairs Secretary Charles T. Corley on Monday appointed Jim Crochet, who has 27 years of experience in health and human services as the state's advocate for long-term care residents.
Crochet, most recently served in the department's legal office.
He succeeds Brian Lee, who said he resigned in February after being told he would be fired otherwise.
The federal Administration on Aging is investigating his departure after Lee repeatedly butted heads with the nursing home industry.
Lee said the animosity grew with the election of Scott, a Republican who formerly headed companies that ran hospitals and urgent care centers.
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/04/25/2185046/ousted-fla-nursing-home-ombudsman.html#ixzz1Kcy3SyxW
The Orlando Sentinel reported:
Nursing homes get new ombudsman
April, 25 2011 7:19 PM
One of Gov. Rick Scott’s first acts when he took office in January was to fire Brian Lee,the longtime state ombudsman who ran a network of volunteer inspectors charged with evaluating nursing homes and blowing the whistle on substandard conditions.
Though Scott never really explained why he got rid of Lee — which touched off an ongoing investigation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — Lee attributed it to his aggressive interest in the large corporations which are silent owners of individual nursing homes.
But federal law says the state must have an ombudsman, so Monday Charles T. Corley, interim secretary of the Department of Elder Affairs, named his department’s general counsel to the job. Jim Crochet had previous been at attorney at the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) and at the old Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services.
“Mr. Crochet has dedicated 27 years to public service in the field of health and human services, and he brings a wealth of experience in both advocacy and long-term care regulation,” said Corley in a statement. “I am confident that long-term care residents will benefit from the leadership he will bring to the Ombudsman Program, whose mission it is to protect the health, safety, welfare, and rights of long-term care residents across Florida.”
For more information about Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County home health care for seniors and other family members, contact Brian Gauthier at A Family Member Home Care (954) 986-5090 or www.afamilymemberhomecare.com.
Ousted Fla. nursing home ombudsman successor named
The Associated Press
April 25, 2011
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- A replacement has been named for the Florida nursing home ombudsman who was ousted in a clash with Gov. Rick Scott's administration.
Interim Department of Elder Affairs Secretary Charles T. Corley on Monday appointed Jim Crochet, who has 27 years of experience in health and human services as the state's advocate for long-term care residents.
Crochet, most recently served in the department's legal office.
He succeeds Brian Lee, who said he resigned in February after being told he would be fired otherwise.
The federal Administration on Aging is investigating his departure after Lee repeatedly butted heads with the nursing home industry.
Lee said the animosity grew with the election of Scott, a Republican who formerly headed companies that ran hospitals and urgent care centers.
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/04/25/2185046/ousted-fla-nursing-home-ombudsman.html#ixzz1Kcy3SyxW
The Orlando Sentinel reported:
Nursing homes get new ombudsman
April, 25 2011 7:19 PM
One of Gov. Rick Scott’s first acts when he took office in January was to fire Brian Lee,the longtime state ombudsman who ran a network of volunteer inspectors charged with evaluating nursing homes and blowing the whistle on substandard conditions.
Though Scott never really explained why he got rid of Lee — which touched off an ongoing investigation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — Lee attributed it to his aggressive interest in the large corporations which are silent owners of individual nursing homes.
But federal law says the state must have an ombudsman, so Monday Charles T. Corley, interim secretary of the Department of Elder Affairs, named his department’s general counsel to the job. Jim Crochet had previous been at attorney at the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) and at the old Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services.
“Mr. Crochet has dedicated 27 years to public service in the field of health and human services, and he brings a wealth of experience in both advocacy and long-term care regulation,” said Corley in a statement. “I am confident that long-term care residents will benefit from the leadership he will bring to the Ombudsman Program, whose mission it is to protect the health, safety, welfare, and rights of long-term care residents across Florida.”
For more information about Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County home health care for seniors and other family members, contact Brian Gauthier at A Family Member Home Care (954) 986-5090 or www.afamilymemberhomecare.com.
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