SPRINGFIELD, ILL. – The Illinois Department of Public Health has fined two Chicago facilities for violating of the state Nursing Home Care Act:

• Presidential Pavilion, a 328-bed skilled and intermediate care facility located at 8001 S. Western Ave.; and
• Hammond House, a 15-bed intermediate care facility for the developmentally disabled located at 6701 S. Morgan.

Presidential Pavilion was fined $5,000 (Statement of Violation) for failing to prepare, distribute and serve food under sanitary conditions. The facility failed to follow its policy of shutting down the entire kitchen area when sewage water backed up into the kitchen and obtaining food from an outside source. Instead, staff stood on milk crates to cook and continued to serve meals prepared in the kitchen.

Hammond House was fined $5,000 (Statement of Violation) for failing to properly report an incident of abuse. An employee witnessed another employee hitting a resident, but did not try to intervene nor did she report the incident to a supervisor or police. Once the incident was brought to the attention of the administration, another eight passed days before it was reported to IDPH as required.

Both facilities requested hearings on the Department's actions. No hearing dates have been scheduled.