SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Public Health has fined St. Ann's Healthcare Center $5,000 (Statement of Violation), for failure to provide adequate supervision to prevent a resident from falling down a second-floor stairwell. The 119-bed skilled and intermediate care facility is located at 770 State St. in Chester.

As part of an incident report investigation, Department surveyors learned a resident sustained a fracture to her neck after falling down the stairwell. The resident, who had a history of wandering, was fitted with an electronic monitoring device but it was not working and no alarm sounded when she opened the stairwell door.

The Department-ordered plan of correction required the facility to take all the necessary precautions to ensure that the residents' environment remains free of accident hazards and to ensure that the alarm system is functioning properly at all times.

St. Ann's Healthcare Center requested a hearing on the Department's action. No hearing date has been scheduled.