Farmington-based Athena Health Care Systems has been ordered to pay $1.75 million to Massachusetts’ Opioid Recovery and Remediation Trust Fund for failing to meet needs of patients with substance use disorder.
Athena operates skilled nursing facilities throughout southern New England, including six facilities in central Massachusetts and many more in Connecticut.
The Massachusetts AG’s office investigated reports of substandard care or regulatory violations that allegedly started in March 2016 at Athena’s Massachusetts nursing homes, based on complaints referred by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman, according to a Wednesday press release from Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey.
Athena President and CEO Lawrence Santilli said in a written statement on Thursday that the company worked cooperatively with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office throughout the investigation.
Skilled nursing facilities participating in Medicare and MassHealth must follow various state and federal statutes, regulations, and rules governing their procedures and conduct. The AG’s office alleges that Athena facilities admitted substantial numbers of residents with histories of substance use disorder, despite the fact that the facilities did not have adequate levels of appropriately trained staff to meet the needs of those residents.
The Massachusetts AG’s office also alleges that numerous overdoses occurred at the Athena facilities, some of which were not reported to DPH. According to the Massachusetts AG’s office, Athena was aware this conduct led to noncompliance with regulations but still encouraged the Athena facilities to admit residents with histories of substance use disorder.
The investigation by the Massachusetts AG’s Office also found that one of the facilities named in the settlement failed to adequately screen staff for COVID-19 infection, risking the spread of the virus to medically vulnerable residents.
In addition to the payment, Athena Health Care will work with Atlanta-based nonprofit Alliant Health Solutions to update its policies, procedures, and training with respect to its treatment of residents with histories of substance use disorder. The company will also hire an auditor to review company records and four full-time regional nurses dedicated to clinical operations and compliance.
“At Athena, we always aim to provide the highest quality of care for our patients and residents,” wrote Santilli. “To ensure this is the standard across all our centers, we are hiring the appropriate staff, expanding upon our compliance initiatives, and conducting staff training and education.”
