News Release from the Office of Florida Governor Rick Scott: AHCA Responds to Governor Rick Scott’s Call to Crack Down on Assisted Living Facility Neglect
The Office of Florida Governor Rick Scott issued this news release today, June 14, 2011:
AHCA Takes Action against 46 ALFs during May, Launches New Consumer Assistance Tools
Tallahassee, Fla.— Citing Governor Rick Scott’s request to correct the abuse and neglect that’s been reported in Florida’s assisted living facilities (ALFs), the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) announced today it took administrative action against 46 ALFs during the month of May.
“I am committed to making sure the people who rely on these facilities are protected,” said Governor Scott. “In early May I called on the agencies that oversee our state’s assisted living facilities to take action against any abuses or neglect, and I am happy to see they’ve answered that call.”
Last month, AHCA issued an immediate moratorium on admissions for two assisted living facilities and one emergency suspension order. In addition, AHCA denied one application for license renewal to a facility with a history of deficiencies and assessed more than $125,000 in fines to 44 facilities for failure to comply with state standards.
“Under Governor Scott’s direction, we are working with our partners (APD, DCF and the Department of Elder Affairs) to monitor these facilities closer than ever,” said Liz Dudek, AHCA Secretary. “Assisted living facilities have a responsibility to provide a safe and secure environment for their residents. We will continue with vigorous enforcement to assure providers are held accountable to keep the residents in their facilities healthy and safe.”
While Florida is already a leader in consumer information and transparency about health care providers, the Agency has gone one step better, making it easier to spot facilities with problems.
Today, AHCA released enhancements to the Florida Health Finder tool (www.floridahealthfinder.gov) that improve access to enforcement and sanction information for all providers the agency regulates. Florida Health Finder now connects complaints and any legal actions against a facility to its profile so a summary of sanctions can be seen at a glance. Florida Health Finder now also includes direct access to detailed health care provider complaint and inspection reports, emergency regulatory actions, and expanded information about specialty licenses and ownership.
For more information, please visit AHCA.MyFlorida.com.
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