Focus Otsego Is Sold
To Centers Health Care
By LIBBY CUDMORE • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com
INDEX – Focus Otsego announced moments ago that the facility, along with the property in Utica, is being sold to Centers Health Care, the largest post-acute health care company in the Northeast.
“It has become increasingly difficult for operators of just one or two nursing facilities to compete economically in the current health care environment,” said Focus CEO Joseph Zupnik in a statement. “In Centers Health Care, we have found a solution with the resources and expertise to help us more effectively guide these two great properties and eventually take them to next level.”
Centers Health Care is the largest and most complete post-acute health care continuum in the Northeast, with 33 skilled nursing and rehab facilities spanning New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island, two Assisted Living programs, seven Adult Day Health Care facilities, several home care companies, and Centers Plan for Healthy Living, a Managed Long Term Care company.
“Our consulting agreement begins immediately” said Centers CEO Kenny Rozenberg. “We expect to receive Department of Health approval in the near future, which will lead to a full transition of ownership and these two facilities can then become full members of the Centers Health Care family. Until then, we’ll do our best as consultants to guide the current ownership and their management team as they strive to implement our brand of industry-leading best practices in care, service and customer commitment”.
The sale comes on the end of a rough year; Last August, four Focus employees were arrested and plead guilty to neglecting a 94 year old resident for 41 hours over Memorial Day weekend. In January, the facility was labeled as a “Special Focus Facility” by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services labeled Focus Otsego after an investigation turned up multiple allegations of abuse, neglect and compliance violations. They were also fined $18,000 by the State Department of Health.
“We’re looking forward to working closely with Focus to position these two facilities to deliver better care than ever”, said Rozenberg. “As we eagerly await a positive decision by the Department of Health, we’ll begin recommending even more significant changes that will put these facilities on the same path to improvement that so many of our facilities are already on” he added.
Both Centers Health Care and Focus have assured residents and staff that all employees at the two sites will remain in place, while Centers staff members will continue to work on-site as consultants to management in all areas of the operation.
“Having Centers consult with us, and eventually purchase these facilities, is in the very best interest of our residents and staff,” Zupnik said. “I have thoroughly enjoyed operating these sites, and I approach this pending sale with the peace of mind that comes from knowing that we are placing our residents and our staff in the best possible hands.”
Best of luck its mostly staffing issues and training.
Told you so
Glad I never admitted my mother to the old manor.care there has been subpar going back to when it was the old infirmary.
Understaffed understaffed understaffed.
Can’t have 1 nurse and 1 aid on a unit trying to do the job of 2 nurses and 3 aids… and expect ADEQUATE care… much less – GOOD care. And it’s like that on multiple units, almost every night of the week. The state knows -they just have nowhere else to send the residents… otherwise the chains would be across the door already. The right people need to start asking the right questions – publicly.
Oops.i meant i was glad my mom never was a patient with ptsego county.staffing was low and frankly while the public taxpayers were dupped about how supposedly great the care was even at the old infirmary the true is it had a bad reputation among other healthcare providers.for profit care is all about money not the care