December 22, 2004

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Illinois Department of Public Health has taken disciplinary action against two Springfield long-term care facilities:

• Lewis Memorial Christian Village, a 155-bed skilled and intermediate care facility located at 3400 W. Washington St.; and
• Springfield Terrace, a 65-bed intermediate care facility located at 525 S. Martin Luther King Drive.

Lewis Memorial Christian Village was fined $5,000 (Statement of Violation) for failing to immediately and thoroughly investigate an allegation of sexual abuse and to immediately notify police and the resident’s family and physician.

After being informed by a resident that she had been sexually abused, a facility aide reported it to a nurse who told her supervisor. Facility staff waited until the next morning to notify local police about the alleged incident.

Lewis Memorial failed to initiate an investigation per facility policy because they thought a corporate employee was conducting one on the facility’s behalf. The corporate employee told surveyors the facility was responsible for its own investigation.

In addition, the facility failed to ensure that employees received on-going training on abuse allegations and appropriate interventions. Staff indicated they were not trained on the abuse protocol nor were they told to immediately report incidents of sexual abuse to local law authorities.

Springfield Terrace was fined $5,000 (Statement of Violation) for failing to protect residents from potential abuse by an employee. Department surveyors learned the facility continued to employ a nurse after learning she had a previously had a finding of abuse. This action put all residents at risk for potential abuse by the nurse.

Both facilities have requested a hearing on the Department’s action. A final hearing on Lewis Memorial Christian Village is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 10, 2005. A hearing date for Springfield Terrace has not been set.