NEWARK -- A 14-year-old transgender student was beaten by several fellow students at East Side High School in an assault that authorities said they are investigating as an alleged bias crime. Kylie Perez told PIX11 she was punched and kicked Tuesday in a school hallway after a girl shouted "there's the tranny." Perez told the station…
Transgender student beaten in 'vicious attack' at N.J. school
Hollywood Hills Rehabilitation Center Suing The State
A Tallahassee judge on Thursday set the first hearing in the lawsuit lodged by the Hollywood Hills Rehabilitation Center against the state.
Circuit Judge Jim Shelfer scheduled the hearing for 9 a.m. on Oct. 27 in the Leon County Courthouse, court records show.
The nursing home sued the Agency for Health Care Administration last Tuesday after Gov. Rick Scott ordered the agency to cut off Medicaid payments and carry out a moratorium on patient admissions.
Eleven residents now are dead after Hurricane Irma knocked out the facility’s air conditioning.
Debate continues over whether the home’s administrators acted properly. The first eight residents died Sept. 13, three days after the climate control went down. Other residents were evacuated.
In the lawsuit, the home’s attorneys argue the facility followed emergency-preparedness plans in the way it handled the air conditioning outage.
Also, the lawsuit alleges that the Scott administration violated the facility's due-process rights.
After deleting voicemail's from Nursing Home Gov. Scott Admin sets out to destroy the company who owns the home
Click link below about the deleted voicemails
Below a Press Release from Gov. Scott
Today, the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) has taken additional steps to remove Larkin-owned Floridian Gardens Assisted Living Facility from the Medicaid program. Floridian Gardens has a history of regulatory issues, and the Agency took action to deny their attempt to renew their license on December 22, 2016. The facility challenged AHCA’s action this January and this case remains pending. AHCA has now amended their denial to include information related to the tragedy at the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills, where 11 individuals tragically lost their lives due to the failure of Larkin management to timely call 911 or evacuate their patients. Floridian Gardens Assisted Living Facility and Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills have common ownership.
Secretary Justin Senior said, “Our Agency will continue to hold health care facilities accountable, and we are fully committed to doing everything in our power to protect patients in Florida. The Floridians Gardens Assisted Living Facility and Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills have demonstrated without a doubt that they do not deserve to be trusted with patient’s lives, especially those who are vulnerable and unable to care for themselves. That is why, in December, we took action to deny the Floridian Gardens Assisted Living Facility’s license renewal and why we are taking additional action today to remove this facility from the Medicaid program. Our Agency will work with our state partners at DCF and the Long-Term Care Ombudsman as well as our Medicaid program and Managed Care health plans to assist with resident notification of a closure, relocation options, and answering any questions that remain, to ensure a smooth transition for residents.”
Please see the timeline below of action AHCA has taken to hold Floridian Gardens Assisted Living Facility and Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills accountable:
December 22, 2016
AHCA issues a Notice of Intent to Deny License Renewal Application to Floridian Gardens Assisted Living Facility in Miami. The facility challenged on January 17, 2017 and this case remains pending.
September 13, 2017
AHCA issues an Immediate Moratorium on Admissions, which stopped new patients from being admitted to the facility, for the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills.
September 14, 2017
AHCA issues an Immediate Suspension Final Order on participation in the Medicaid program to the Rehabilitation Center of Hollywood Hills.
September 20, 2017
AHCA issues a Suspension Order on the license to the Rehabilitation Center of Hollywood Hills, suspending their ability to operate a nursing home, and prohibiting the facility from admitting any patients.
September 22, 2017
AHCA files a motion seeking to issue an Amended Immediate Suspension Final Order on participation in the Medicaid program to the Rehabilitation Center of Hollywood Hills.
September 27, 2017
AHCA issues an Amended Notice of Intent to Deny License Renewal Application to Floridian Gardens Assisted Living Facility, and can be found HERE.
September 27, 2017
AHCA issues a notice to Floridian Gardens Assisted Living Facility outlining the intent to terminate them from the Medicaid program pending the effective date of the denied renewal of the license. This notice is a Sanction Only Final Audit Report, and can be found HERE.
Also read our post
AHCA Suspends the License of the Rehabilitation Center of Hollywood Hills
New Explosive Documentary On Trump Mob Ties and money laundering - Video-Series
 |
| Photo Credit: YouTube.com / ZEMBLA - Onderzoeksjournalistiek |
President Trump’s Manhattan properties and business partners, including former Soviet Union-connected oligarchs, were involved in a larger international money-laundering scheme involving upward of $1 billion, according to Dutch filmmakers whose third installment in an investigative series aired on public TV in Holland Wednesday.
“We wanted to know in depth how money was transferred from Kazakhstan to the United States and how this could relate to Donald Trump, the Trump Organization and Trump’s real estate,” said Sander Rietveld, director of The Dubious Friends of Donald Trump, Part III: The Multibillion-Dollar Fraud, broadcast on Zembla, a program of the VARA Broadcasting Association.
The documentary was produced based on a three-month collaborationbetween Zembla, The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP)—known for the Panama Papers, and McClatchy newspaper's Washington bureau (including Kevin Hall, who won a Pulitzer Prize for the Panama papers).
“We investigated hundreds of company records, court documents in the U.S., Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Belize, etc., and interviewed dozens of sources,” he said. “The result is a follow-the-money documentary revealing the connections between several people in Trump’s orbit and an alleged multibillion-dollar fraud. Also the pivotal role of the Netherlands as an offshore haven gets attention. With Dutch help, Kazakh oligarchs allegedly were able to divert and launder huge amounts of money.”
One of the international financiers profiled went to court in the Netherlands on Tuesday to stop the documentary from airing on public TV, but lost, Rietveld said: “Kazakh multimillion[aire] businessman-oligarch Ilyas Khrapunov tried to block this broadcast in court yesterday (Monday). Judge turned down his request and allowed airing documentary.”
PART 2
PART 1
Also see out post:
The Secret History of Donald Trump: An Indictment of His Business Practices and Creative Accounting
Wasserman Schultz: Congress Must Reauthorize CHIP
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23) issued the following statement on the need for Congress to reauthorize the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which provides funding for uninsured children:
“Health care for hundreds of thousands of children in Florida is in jeopardy because Republicans refuse to hold a vote on the CHIP program before it expires Saturday. This may force some states into enrollment freezes or other budget stresses. Experts also predict that the recent hurricanes are likely to exacerbate these shortfalls, since need will spike in hard-hit states.
As Democrats, we cannot allow this vital program with longstanding bipartisan support to languish even one day. In Florida alone, CHIP has helped lower the child uninsured rate from 11 percent to nearly 6 percent over three years, according to one study. If Republicans cannot at least protect health care coverage for millions of lower-income children, they have completely lost their moral compass. Congress should not leave town for the weekend without getting this done.”
Amazon Could put HQ2 in Florida
Enterprise Florida CEO Pete Antonacci was tapped for the job only this July, but he’s now consumed with his latest challenge: Seeing that Florida snags the second headquarters for Amazon, the massive online retailer.
“Amazon HQ2 will be Amazon’s second headquarters in North America,” the company says on its website, where it asks for applications from economic development organizations. The original headquarters is in Seattle.
“We expect to invest over $5 billion in construction and grow this second headquarters to include as many as 50,000 high-paying jobs – it will be a full equal to our current campus in Seattle,” Amazon says, adding that HQ2 is ”expected to create tens of thousands of additional jobs and tens of billions of dollars in additional investment in the surrounding community.”
The competition will be tough: Philadelphia, Dallas and San Francisco are just a few of the big cities seeking to be Amazon’s next home. In Florida, Orlando, Miami and other metro areas have expressed interest.
“The good thing is the company agreed to postpone our application deadline for another week,” Antonacci said, referring to the lingering recovery from Hurricane Irma.
He spoke to Florida Politics after giving a presentation on the governor’s constitutional authority to a committee of the Constitution Revision Commission.
“The communities that are interested are working to put their (own) projects together,” he said. “We’re going to submit a state application that has a number of components,” focusing on the benefits of the various communities.
“It’s an indication that the state stands behind the (local) applications,” Antonacci added. “If they happen to choose one or two to go to the next level, we will participate in pushing those applications to the end.”
Source Florida Politics
Rep. Deutch Questions State Dept. on Israel, Iran, and Bob Levinson
(Washington) During this morning's House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on "The Department of State Redesign" with Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan, Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-22), Ranking Member of the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, expressed his real concerns about President Trump's proposal to cut the State Department by 30% and asked about the State Department's positions on Israel and the peace process, the JCPOA and Iran's malign activities in the region, and efforts to bring his constituent Bob Levinson home to his family.
Click the image below to watch Congressman Deutch's questions. A transcript of his questions can be found below.
Congressman Deutch: "I’d like to ask you about a few specific foreign policy topics to get an understanding of this Administration’s position.
"First in the Middle East, we saw another brutal reminder of the challenges that Israel faces in its search for peace today when a terrorist killed three Israelis and seriously wounded others near to Jerusalem. Meanwhile, in Gaza, Hamas continues to hold the bodies of slain IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians as bargaining chips.
"Earlier this month I met with the parents of Lt. Hadar Goldin who was killed by Hamas terrorists using an underground terror tunnel during a ceasefire in 2014. I’ve also met with the family of Sgt. Oron Shaul who was also killed by Hamas in 2014. Hamas’ refusal to return the bodies of the soldiers to their families to berry in Israel is an obvious violation of international law and basic human values.
"So to where we are today. Jason Greenblatt is currently in Israel continuing the Administration's push towards peace, but for many of us we are still in the dark about what that looks like. Mr. Greenblatt said last week that, 'It is no secret our approach to these discussions departs from some of the usual orthodoxy – for after years of well-meaning attempts to negotiate an end to this conflict, we have all learned some valuable lessons.'
"So I want to ask you, Mr. Deputy Secretary, what are those lessons that have been learned and what are the unorthodox approaches that you’re pursuing, and is it this Administration’s intention to present its own peace plan?"
Deputy Secretary Sullivan: “Thank you Congressman. Yes, as you know the White House’s Jason Greenblatt, the President’s Special Representative, and Senior Adviser to the President Jared Kushner have been deeply involved in negotiations between this Administration and the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority. The President met with Prime Minister Netanyahu and the leadership of the Palestinian Authority last week. The President himself is personally committed to this process, as other Presidents have been. I think the commitment of this Administration is clear to the peace process. I would have to defer to Mr. Greenblatt on what he specifically meant with those comments. I would say that Secretary Tillerson, though, has been involved as well – he was with President Trump when the President visited Israel in June.”
Congressman Deutch: “All of which we’re aware of – can you tell us whether it’s the President’s intention or the Administration’s intention to present its own peace plan?”
Deputy Secretary Sullivan: “I would have to defer to the White House on that one.”
Congressman Deutch: "Next, moving on to Iran. The Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs said in July that, 'it appears that Iran is in compliance with the rules that were laid out in the JCPOA.' Now, there are very real flaws in the JCOPA, including the problematic sunset provisions. However, in order to lead an international effort against Iran’s ongoing support for terrorism, their support of Hezbollah militias in Syria, the development of their missile program, all of which are outside the terms of the JCOPA, we’re going to need the support of the international community and our allies and partners in Europe. Wouldn’t a decision not to certify compliance because of factors that are outside the JCPOA risk isolating us from our allies and making the job of combating Iran's malign activities in the region even more difficult?"
Deputy Secretary Sullivan: "Well the Secretary has said as late as last week that Iran is in technical compliance with the JCOPA. He said as well however that Iran is in violation of the spirit of the JCPOA for all the malign activities that you just described. We’ve been in close consultation with our allies to address both those malign activities and the flaws in the JCPOA, including the sunset provisions. So the President will have a decision in October on whether to certify or not, but our work on Iran’s malign activities and trying to improve the terms of the JCPOA will continue."
Congressman Deutch: “And finally, Mr. Chairman, if I may, my last question. As you know Deputy Secretary Sullivan, my constituent Bob Levinson has been held by Iran for more than 10 years. The Levinson's were told that the UN General Assembly would be used as an opportunity to push forward Bob's case. Are you seeing any progress? And can you commit to us here that bringing Bob, and the other Americans being unjustly and cruelly held by Iran, will remain a priority for this Administration?"
Deputy Secretary Sullivan: “The Levinson case is a priority for this Administration as are all the other American hostages held worldwide. Just as a note, I have met and spoken with the Levinson family on multiple occasions. I have a picture on my desk of Bob Levinson, which reminds me every day that he’s our longest held hostage in Iran. And I have personal family experience with Americans being held hostage in Iran. This Administration has no higher priority than bringing home all of those Americans, including Mr. Levinson. You have my word on that.”
Click the image below to watch Congressman Deutch's questions. A transcript of his questions can be found below.
 |
Congressman Deutch: "I’d like to ask you about a few specific foreign policy topics to get an understanding of this Administration’s position.
"First in the Middle East, we saw another brutal reminder of the challenges that Israel faces in its search for peace today when a terrorist killed three Israelis and seriously wounded others near to Jerusalem. Meanwhile, in Gaza, Hamas continues to hold the bodies of slain IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians as bargaining chips.
"Earlier this month I met with the parents of Lt. Hadar Goldin who was killed by Hamas terrorists using an underground terror tunnel during a ceasefire in 2014. I’ve also met with the family of Sgt. Oron Shaul who was also killed by Hamas in 2014. Hamas’ refusal to return the bodies of the soldiers to their families to berry in Israel is an obvious violation of international law and basic human values.
"So to where we are today. Jason Greenblatt is currently in Israel continuing the Administration's push towards peace, but for many of us we are still in the dark about what that looks like. Mr. Greenblatt said last week that, 'It is no secret our approach to these discussions departs from some of the usual orthodoxy – for after years of well-meaning attempts to negotiate an end to this conflict, we have all learned some valuable lessons.'
"So I want to ask you, Mr. Deputy Secretary, what are those lessons that have been learned and what are the unorthodox approaches that you’re pursuing, and is it this Administration’s intention to present its own peace plan?"
Deputy Secretary Sullivan: “Thank you Congressman. Yes, as you know the White House’s Jason Greenblatt, the President’s Special Representative, and Senior Adviser to the President Jared Kushner have been deeply involved in negotiations between this Administration and the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority. The President met with Prime Minister Netanyahu and the leadership of the Palestinian Authority last week. The President himself is personally committed to this process, as other Presidents have been. I think the commitment of this Administration is clear to the peace process. I would have to defer to Mr. Greenblatt on what he specifically meant with those comments. I would say that Secretary Tillerson, though, has been involved as well – he was with President Trump when the President visited Israel in June.”
Congressman Deutch: “All of which we’re aware of – can you tell us whether it’s the President’s intention or the Administration’s intention to present its own peace plan?”
Deputy Secretary Sullivan: “I would have to defer to the White House on that one.”
Congressman Deutch: "Next, moving on to Iran. The Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs said in July that, 'it appears that Iran is in compliance with the rules that were laid out in the JCPOA.' Now, there are very real flaws in the JCOPA, including the problematic sunset provisions. However, in order to lead an international effort against Iran’s ongoing support for terrorism, their support of Hezbollah militias in Syria, the development of their missile program, all of which are outside the terms of the JCOPA, we’re going to need the support of the international community and our allies and partners in Europe. Wouldn’t a decision not to certify compliance because of factors that are outside the JCPOA risk isolating us from our allies and making the job of combating Iran's malign activities in the region even more difficult?"
Deputy Secretary Sullivan: "Well the Secretary has said as late as last week that Iran is in technical compliance with the JCOPA. He said as well however that Iran is in violation of the spirit of the JCPOA for all the malign activities that you just described. We’ve been in close consultation with our allies to address both those malign activities and the flaws in the JCPOA, including the sunset provisions. So the President will have a decision in October on whether to certify or not, but our work on Iran’s malign activities and trying to improve the terms of the JCPOA will continue."
Congressman Deutch: “And finally, Mr. Chairman, if I may, my last question. As you know Deputy Secretary Sullivan, my constituent Bob Levinson has been held by Iran for more than 10 years. The Levinson's were told that the UN General Assembly would be used as an opportunity to push forward Bob's case. Are you seeing any progress? And can you commit to us here that bringing Bob, and the other Americans being unjustly and cruelly held by Iran, will remain a priority for this Administration?"
Deputy Secretary Sullivan: “The Levinson case is a priority for this Administration as are all the other American hostages held worldwide. Just as a note, I have met and spoken with the Levinson family on multiple occasions. I have a picture on my desk of Bob Levinson, which reminds me every day that he’s our longest held hostage in Iran. And I have personal family experience with Americans being held hostage in Iran. This Administration has no higher priority than bringing home all of those Americans, including Mr. Levinson. You have my word on that.”
Wasserman Schultz on Latest Trumpcare Bill Withdrawal
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23) released the following statement regarding Republican Leader Mitch McConnell’s decision to not hold a vote on the Graham-Cassidy version of Trumpcare:
“Courageous Americans called, spoke out and protested the Republicans’ latest appalling attempt to destroy our health care system, and together we beat it back – once again. Even though we have won this critical victory, we can’t stop now. We must keep the pressure on Leader McConnell, Speaker Ryan and the President to embrace the bipartisan effort to update and improve the Affordable Care Act.
No more legislative schemes to weaken the ACA, or allowing this law to be starved by neglect and inaction. The time is now to stabilize ACA marketplaces and help families enroll in coverage this year. Millions of families, seniors and veterans are counting on us to protect and expand affordable health care for everyone. If we stay united, we can do it. We must do it."
Rep. Deutch on House Floor: Reauthorize Children's Health Program
Moments ago, Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-22) spoke on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to urge his colleagues to pass a reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), an historically bipartisan program that is set to expire by the end of September.
The Congressman's remarks can be viewed by clicking the image. A transcript of his remarks is below.
 |
Mr. Speaker,
Across the Capitol, Republican Senators finally decided to cancel the vote on a disastrous health bill that would upend insurance markets; cause 3.2 million Floridians to lose coverage; increase premiums in my state by an average of four thousand dollars; and destroy over 180,000 Florida jobs.
Now, not only did this process threaten the health and financial security of tens of millions of Americans, it also delayed reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
CHIP expires at the end of this week, but renewing it has taken a back seat to a cruel health bill motivated by a political vendetta and the hope of unlocking billions from campaign mega-donors.
It’s time for Congress to get back to work on CHIP, a program that ensures nearly 9 million kids get access to care, 375,000 of them in Florida. And it has only become stronger after the passage of the Affordable Care Act.
I hope my colleagues in the majority will waste no time in joining me in supporting this vital program.
Let’s help our children. Let’s reauthorize CHIP, and let’s do it this week.
I yield back.
Rep. Deutch Letter to the Editor: Americans want health care collaboration, not a crisis
Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-22) wrote a Letter to the Editor of the Sun Sentinel on the Graham-Cassidy Trumpcare proposal and its devastating potential for all Americans, particularly Floridians. The letter can be found here or read below.
Americans want health care collaboration, not a crisis | Letters
Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-22)
Sun Sentinel
This week, Republican senators are pitching backroom deals to buy the last few votes needed to pass a bitter, partisan health bill. It's a bill that will blow up our health system and shred popular consumer protections guaranteeing coverage of pre-existing conditions without caps and price gouging.
This comes after Republicans wasted seven years on political grandstanding. Now, they are rushing forward without substantive hearings or official estimates detailing the tens of millions who will pay more and lose insurance.
Early estimates indicate the Graham-Cassidy health care bill would devastate Florida. A toxic mix of cutting Medicaid, gutting consumer protections, and ending financial assistance would cause 3.2 million Floridians to lose coverage, and Florida taxpayers would need to find a way to replace $9.7 billion in federal funding.
Americans want Republicans and Democrats to work together. They want solutions that cut costs and improve lives. That's what we should all be working toward.
Americans want health care collaboration, not a crisis | Letters
Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-22)
Sun Sentinel
This week, Republican senators are pitching backroom deals to buy the last few votes needed to pass a bitter, partisan health bill. It's a bill that will blow up our health system and shred popular consumer protections guaranteeing coverage of pre-existing conditions without caps and price gouging.
This comes after Republicans wasted seven years on political grandstanding. Now, they are rushing forward without substantive hearings or official estimates detailing the tens of millions who will pay more and lose insurance.
Early estimates indicate the Graham-Cassidy health care bill would devastate Florida. A toxic mix of cutting Medicaid, gutting consumer protections, and ending financial assistance would cause 3.2 million Floridians to lose coverage, and Florida taxpayers would need to find a way to replace $9.7 billion in federal funding.
Americans want Republicans and Democrats to work together. They want solutions that cut costs and improve lives. That's what we should all be working toward.
Lauderhill Debris Pick Up Instructions and Two More Parks to Open After Hurricane Irma
The Disaster Debris Haulers are working around the City to remove the waste from Hurricane Irma. All garbage, bulk, and recycling pick up has resumed on your regularly scheduled days from Waste Management. It is imperative you follow the directions below on how to separate and set out garbage to avoid being missed or cited by Code Enforcement.
REGULAR GARBAGE PICK UP – You may put bags of leaves in your 96 gallon garbage container along with regular waste. http://lauderhill-fl.gov/
BULK PICK UP –Bulk can include bagged items such as bagged leaves as well. Do not put out your bulk items until the night before your scheduled pick up day as designated by the bulk calendar. http://lauderhill-fl.gov/
DISASTER STORM DEBRIS – HORTICULTURAL STORM RELATED DEBRIS (not bagged) is being picked up now. Do not put out regular bulk garbage with this debris. (If it is your regularly scheduled bulk day keep your vegetative debris separate from your regular bulk items.) With that, please also keep storm related vegetative debris separated from other storm related debris like damaged fencing and building materials. Trees and branch limbs must cut in no longer than 10 foot segments.
Placement of debris - For single family homes, place your debris in your swale. Condos and apartments should place storm related debris where bulk trash is normally located. Remember to keep regular bulk and storm related debris separated, further separating vegetation from damaged fencing and building materials. Please ask your guard gates and security companies to work with the disaster haulers and waste companies who are picking up debris.
RECYCLING –See the schedule for your regular recycling pick up day. http://lauderhill-fl.gov/
PARKS - West Wind Park, St. George Park, West Ken Lark Park, Maye Jenkins Park, 17th Street Park, Boulevard Woods Park, Waterford Park, Lauderhill 6-12, Lauderhill Sports Park, Wolk Park, and the Sadkin Community Center are now open. By the end of today, Monday, September 25, 2017, Veterans Park and James Bradley Park will reopen. You can call the Parks Department at 954-730-3080 for Park and Program specific information.
The US Army Corps of Engineers has opened its Broward Branch of Operation Blue Roof in Broward and is accepting applications for free blue tarps to protect exposed areas of homes and buildings from Hurricane Irma. The application location is at Walmart located at 2500 W. Broward Boulevard from 8 am – 6 pm. Call 1888-ROOF-BLU for more information.
Log on to the City’s web page at www.lauderhill-fl.gov, visit our Facebook page at https://facebook.com/
How “open to the public” is the Constitution Revision Commission going to be?
A coalition of progressive groups wants to know: How “open to the public” is the Constitution Revision Commission going to be?
The coalition—including the League of Women Voters of Florida, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, Common Cause Florida and seven others—sent a letter to Chairman Carlos Beruff and other commissioners Monday.
Among other concerns, the letter cites commission rule 1.23 on open meetings and records: “All proceedings and records of the Commission shall be open to the public.”
“Will this rule be interpreted to mean that two Commissioners can meet privately to discuss Commission business?” the letter asks. That’s similar to the rule governing state lawmakers.
“Or does the more stringent Sunshine Law apply?” it then asks. That would prohibit any two or more commissioners from meeting privately.
“We urge you to clarify this rule so as to avoid confusion and suspicion among members of the public, members of the press and members of the Commission.”
Attorney Tim Cerio, who chairs the Commission’s Committee on Rules, said he hadn’t seen the missive when asked after a committee meeting Monday in the Capitol.
“I want to look at the letter, but I’ll tell you: 20 years ago, (commissioners) would talk outside noticed meetings,” he said. “That’s a fact … (and) 20 years ago, they did great work, they had great results. But they were not following full Sunshine (Law) 20 years ago.”
Source: Peter Schorsch peter@floridapolitics.com
AHCA Suspends the License of the Rehabilitation Center of Hollywood Hills
Today, the Agency for Health Care Administration issued an emergency suspension order on the license of the Rehabilitation Center of Hollywood Hills. On September 13, the Agency issued a temporary moratorium on admissions for the facility, which stopped new patients from being admitted. On September 13, the Agency also initiated an investigation of the facility and the preliminary results have shown that a permanent emergency suspension of licensure is warranted and necessary. Today’s action will suspend their ability to operate a nursing home, and prohibit the facility from admitting any patients.
Per the AHCA investigation’s initial findings, residents of the facility did not receive timely medical care because the trained medical professionals at the facility overwhelmingly delayed calling 911. Also, these patients were not timely evacuated to the air-conditioned hospital located across the street. These patients ended up at the hospital with body temperatures of, for example, 109.9 degrees Fahrenheit, 108.5 degrees Fahrenheit, 108.3 degrees Fahrenheit, and 107 degrees Fahrenheit - far too late to be saved. The facility also made many late entries into patients’ medical records. The “late entries” were recorded hours after a nurse visited the patients, and therefore, portray an inaccurate depiction of the situation at the facility.
Agency Secretary Justin Senior said, “As more information has come to light on this egregious situation, this facility absolutely cannot continue to have access to patients. This facility failed its residents multiple times throughout this horrifying ordeal. It is unfathomable that a medical professional would not know to call 911 immediately in an emergency situation. The facility also entered late entries into medical records claiming safe temperatures for patients while those same patients were across the street dying in the emergency room with temperatures of over 108 degrees Fahrenheit. No amount of emergency preparedness could have prevented the gross medical and criminal recklessness that occurred at this facility. For that reason we will suspend their license and completely terminate them from the Medicaid program. We will continue to do everything in our power to protect patients in Florida – especially those who are frail and can’t take care of themselves.”
Between 1:30AM and 5:00AM on September 13, several residents suffered respiratory or cardiac distress, and at least eight of those patients ultimately died as a result of not receiving the medical attention they deserved. On September 13, the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills added many late entries to patients’ medical records. This includes a facility nurse recording a patient’s temperature at 101.6 degrees, but the patient was actually no longer at the facility, and had a recorded temperature 108.3 by the hospital. In a second, and very egregious case a late entry was added that stated the patient was resting in bed with respirations even and unlabored, however, this resident had already died before this entry was made.
This facility’s license to operate a nursing home in Florida is immediately suspended based upon the facts presented to the Agency. Their Medicaid participation has been terminated. A copy of the facility’s suspension order is attached. AHCA is currently conducting an investigation. The Hollywood Police Department and FDLE are also conducting a criminal investigation.
Voicemail of Nursing Home calls to Gov. Scott deleted by Scott Administration
Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) is facing criticism after his office revealed that four voicemails sent from a nursing home where eleven residents died in the aftermath Hurricane Irma were deleted.
CBS Miami reported on Saturday that Scott's office said the four voicemails, which were all received during a 36-hour period before the first resident died, were handed off to the appropriate agency and then deleted.
Eleven people died at The Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills, a nursing home that lost power and air conditioning during Hurricane Irma. Authorities said the deaths were heat-related.
“The voicemails were not retained because the information from each voicemail was collected by the governor’s staff and given to the proper agency for handling," the governor's office told CBS in a statement.
A vice president at The Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills told CBS that she requested "immediate assistance" for the residents at the nursing home.
Last week, Scott's office denied that the nursing home ever indicated its residents were in immediate danger, and stressed that the calls were referred to the appropriate authorities.
“Every call made to the governor from facility management was referred to the Agency for Health Care Administration and the Florida Department of Health and quickly returned,” Scott’s spokesman said last week in a statement to the CBS affiliate.
Florida's Department of Health has laid blame for the deaths squarely on the nursing home.
“Let’s be clear – this facility is located across the street from one of Florida’s largest hospitals, which never lost power and had fully operating facilities,” DOH spokeswoman Mara Gambineri said. “It is 100 percent the responsibility of health care professionals to preserve life by acting in the best interest of the health and well-being of their patients.”
“The families of those that died tragically in this nursing home deserve answers. We need a full, independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding this deeply disturbing situation and any violation of sunshine laws by the Scott Administration.”
Worst GOP Health Care Repeal Effort Yet
As Senate Republicans try to force through their secretive Graham-Cassidy-Heller health care repeal bill, without a CBO score or regular order to allow for hearings and debate, here is a look at some numbers from health care experts that show how truly devastating this would be for Americans across the country:
32 MILLION: As many as 32 million people could lose their health insurance after 2026.
15 MILLION: At least 15 million people would lose their coverage in the next year alone.
$4.1 TRILLION: States are projected to lose as much as $4.1 trillion in federal health care funding over the next two decades.
20%: Average premiums could increase by 20%, if not more, in the next year alone.
$16,174: According to AARP, a 60-year old making $25,000 could have to pay $16,174 more per year for the same coverage they have today.
31%: Federal funding for children who receive Medicaid coverage would be cut by 31% over the next two decades.
15%: –Federal funding for people with disabilities who receive Medicaid coverage would be cut by 15% over the next two decades.
ZERO: Guaranteed protections for people with preexisting conditions would be gutted.
Lauderhill to Open More Parks as Clean Up Continues After Hurricane Irma
Lauderhill Staff is working at cleaning up the enormous amount of debris around the City.
West Wind Park, St. George Park, Maye Jenkins Park, 17th Street Park, Boulevard Woods Park, Waterford Park, and Lauderhill 6-12 are now open. Tonight the sports field at West Ken Lark Park will reopen (not the building). Tomorrow, Wednesday, September 20th the Lauderhill Sports Park will reopen.
While playing and enjoying the parks please do so with caution. Some park features/amenities have been closed as they were damaged from the storm. In addition, some Park and Facility hours may be shortened. You can call the Parks Department at 954-730-3080 for Park and Program specific information.
Garbage and Recycling pickup has resumed on your regularly scheduled days. STORM RELATED DEBRIS is being picked up now- Do not put out regular bulk garbage at this time. For single family homes, place your debris in your swale. Condos and apartments need to place storm related debris where bulk trash is normally located. Please keep vegetative debris separated from other debris like fences and building materials. Vegetation and foliage must be piled in no larger than 10 foot portions. Please ask your guard gates and security companies to work with the haulers and waste companies who are picking up debris. If you have questions concerning garbage or debris, call 954-730-3000.
If you have experienced property damage or loss directly caused by Hurricane Irma, register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for disaster assistance – even if you have insurance, please visit www.disasterassistance.govor call 800-621-3362.
Florida Tolls return Thursday Morning
Tolls on a vast majority of Florida’s Turnpike system, all Florida Department of Transportation roads and bridges, and all regional toll facilities throughout the State will be re-instated this Thursday, September 21st at 12:01 a.m. Tolls were suspended on Tuesday, September 5th to help facilitate Hurricane Irma evacuation and relief activities.
Tolls will remain suspended on the Homestead Extension of Florida’s Turnpike south of the interchange with S.R. 874 (Mile Post 0-17) to assist Monroe County residents with recovery efforts.
GROCERY GIVEAWAY AND FOOD DISTRIBUTION ON SATURDAY
In the United States, one in six people struggle to get enough to eat. Broward Sheriff Scott Israel wants to help fight hunger, so he's partnered with the Wayne Barton Study Center's Good News of Christ Ministries to distribute free food, via the Grocery Giveaway Food Distributions.
10 a.m. - 1 p.m., Saturday, September 23
Pilgrim Christian Church
1773 N State Road 7, Lauderhill, FL 33313
The goal of the event is to enhance the health, welfare and education of the community through healthy eating. Participants are encouraged to bring bags and carts to fill with meat, produce, bread, dairy and frozen foods. Everyone is welcome to attend this free community event.
The Wayne Barton Study Center was founded by former Boca Raton police officer Wayne Barton, who has created a safe recreation and education venue for youth to study, learn and play. These Grocery Giveaways are taking place throughout South Florida.
For a complete schedule of the Broward County Grocery Giveaways, visit sheriff.org or call the Broward Sheriff's Office Community Services Department at 954-831-8901.
CLICK FLYER ABOVE TO ENLARGE OR PRINT
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)