Sean Stipp | Tribune-Review
Glenn Gill, 82, is seen through the window of the entrance to Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in Beaver County. Gill, who has dementia, has been a resident since September 2019.
Aug. 9, 2020
By Jamie Martines and Natasha Lindstrom
A state-appointed manager will oversee operations at the troubled Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center at least through the end of the year, signaling some consistency after months of uncertainty about who is in charge.
State officials confirmed Allaire Health Services, installed in mid-May to temporarily manage the facility where 73 residents and a housekeeper died during the peak of the covid-19 crisis, will remain in place through Dec. 30.
The state’s contract with the New Jersey company was slated to expire July 9.
Allaire officials have declined to comment about their role at the facility.
It is the second company that has served in an oversight role at the location since April.
Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said during a press briefing April 29 that a “temporary manager” was named in mid-April. Health department officials identified the firm as The Long Hill Co. of Connecticut.
About a week later, a health department spokesperson clarified in an email to the Trib that Long Hill contracted with Brighton as a consultant, not with the health department as a temporary manager. The spokesperson said the state was preparing to put a temporary manager in place.
A Brighton spokesperson said May 10 that Long Hill stopped working with the facility during the first week in May.
“The Long Hill Company’s role at Brighton was limited-scope consultancy to the manager and operator of the facility as well as the Pennsylvania Department of Health,” Beth Bemis, vice president of marketing for Long Hill, said in an email to the Trib. “We were not involved in daily operations or in care delivery. The engagement was less than 30 days and led to the retention of a temporary manager by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.”
To date, neither Allaire nor state health department officials have commented about what has been accomplished since Allaire took control from Brighton’s owners.
Levine said in a May statement that Allaire would be responsible for “assisting with the safe operations of the facility” and would “provide information directly to the department regarding the health of residents and the needs of patients and staff.”
“Covid-19 is a particularly challenging situation for congregate care settings, and we are committed to ensuring the health and well-being of Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable,” Levine said.
A family photo of 82-year-old Glenn Gill. Gill is among the hundreds of reported covid-19 cases at Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center.
State health department inspections of the facility conducted since Allaire has been present, which were initiated in response to complaints, did not find any deficiencies, records show.
Allaire’s appointment at Brighton came about the same time as a federal investigation into the facility’s handling of the pandemic. The investigation led to more than $62,000 in fines related to improper use of personal protective equipment, improper cleaning of medical equipment and issues with medical records.
A final report has not yet been released.
An inspection conducted July 22 in response to coronavirus infection control-related complaints found no deficiencies, according to records released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Allaire manages four facilities — three in New Jersey and one other in Pennsylvania, Grandview Nursing and Rehabilitation in Danville, Montour County.
The company was founded in 2015 by CEO Benjamin Kurland.
Grandview, a 172-bed facility, has reported no cases of the coronavirus or related deaths among residents, according to state health department data last updated Aug. 4.
The facility has reported fewer than five staff cases, state data shows.
Grandview is rated three out of five stars — an “average” grade — according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the federal agency overseeing nursing homes.
The New Jersey facilities have received grades ranging from one to four stars, federal records show.
One of those facilities, Allaire Rehab and Nursing in New Jersey’s Monmouth County, has reported seven coronavirus-related deaths, New Jersey health department records show.
Another facility, Morristown Post Acute in Morris County, reported no deaths.
Data was not available for the third facility, Morris View Healthcare Center, also located in Morris County.
As of July 23 — after about 10 weeks at Brighton — Allaire’s work had cost the state about $138,000.
Brighton’s owners are responsible for operating expenses, including payroll, food costs, medications and supplies, contracted services, leases, maintenance costs and liability insurance, according to the health department.
Brighton owners have made it clear who issues orders to Allaire.
“Allaire is directed by the state Department of Health, not Brighton facility management,” a statement signed by Brighton Facility Management said in response to a question about changes that have been implemented since mid-May. “Together, management teams from Allaire and Brighton work to deliver the highest quality of care for residents.”
The first coronavirus case was reported at Brighton on March 26. By the end of April, at least 50 people had died of covid-19 there. Less than two weeks later, Allaire Health Services entered the picture.
During April and early May, before Allaire was hired, state inspectors uncovered serious infection control and training deficiencies at Brighton. They also cited ineffective management as part of the problem.
Many of those interviewed, still stinging from the months of turmoil at the facility, hope that new management will mark a new beginning.
On April 14, Jodi Gill, of Ambridge, said she called the facility, hoping for an update about her father’s health. Her father, 82-year-old Glenn Gill, is a dementia patient at Brighton and has lived there since September 2019. He is among the hundreds of reported covid-19 cases at the facility.
The phone rang for 53 minutes, but no one answered, Jodi Gill said. She said she found herself hoping for a small emergency, just so someone from Brighton would have to call her.
“People were dying at really rapid rates, and I just wanted to know, why wasn’t anyone doing anything about it?” she said.
One month after her unanswered call, another call went out, this time from the state asking Allaire to come on board.
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Jamie Martines and Natasha Lindstrom are Tribune-Review staff writers. You can contact Jamie at 724-850-2867, jmartines@triblive.com or via Twitter @Jamie_Martines. You can contact Natasha at 412-380-8514, nlindstrom@triblive.com or via Twitter @NewsNatasha.
Options for reporting issues at nursing homes include:
• Pennsylvania Department of Health: Call 800-254-5164, email c-ncomplai@pa.gov or use the online complaint form on the department’s website. Complaints can be kept anonymous.
• State Attorney General’s Office: To report neglect or possible criminal allegations, email neglect-COVID@attorneygeneral.gov or call 717-787-3391 and ask for the Medicaid Fraud Control Section.
• Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program: Call 717-783-8975 or email LTC-ombudsman@pa.gov.
For emergencies involving immediate danger, call 911 or 877-72-432584 (877-PA-HEALTH).
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