A state and federal investigation is underway after over 100 patients at a rehabilitation facility in Lincolnshire were reportedly left with no staff to care for them on Monday after a new company took over the facility.
The Lincolnshire Police Department received a report of a “severe staffing concern” around 9:11 a.m. Monday at Lincolnshire Living and Rehab Center, 150 Jamestown Lane in Lincolnshire.
The police department worked with the Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Fire Protection District to address the situation.
Police also notified the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) about the situation.
Paramedics transported three residents of the facility to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville for medical treatment.
Former staff members were called to assist and are currently caring for individuals at the facility, village officials said.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) said they have opened an investigation.
IDPH said there had been no medical staff on duty at the skilled nursing facility, which is licensed to house 144 beds.
IDPH nursing home surveyors responded to the facility Monday morning after being alerted to the lack of clinical care staff.
Health officials said IDPH staff arrived and encountered the facility medical director, who had arrived to check on patients.
The IDPH said there were no nursing or other clinical staff on duty at the facility. There were 104 residents in the home at the time.
The IDPH surveyors assisted in assessing the facility for safety and quickly worked to contact staff who had previously worked at the facility.
A plan for continuing care coverage for the residents through the next week was developed.
“Our first priority was to ensure the care and well-being of all affected residents,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said.
“A comprehensive review and investigation is underway. We are grateful for the swift response by local EMS and police officials in Lincolnshire, as well as our sister agency, the Illinois Department on Aging, all of whom assisted in responding to this urgent issue,” Vohra said.
IDPH is investigating the failure to provide adequate staff and to provide for the health and safety of residents under Illinois’s Nursing Home Care Act.
The health department is also coordinating the investigation with federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which is responsible for long-term care facilities that participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
The investigation will assess if penalties will be handed down, including the possibility of citations and monetary fines, health officials said.
The rehabilitation facility previously operated as the Warren Barr Rehab Facility.
The Wealshire, LLC took over operations effective Monday, which is when the staffing issues began, village officials said.