Memphis nursing home set for layoffs

Facility losing patients, facing loss of funding, fines

A Memphis nursing home cut off from government reimbursement for services and facing fines of more than $1.2 million is losing patients and, at least temporarily, staff.

Signature HealthCARE at Saint Francis, after performing poorly on health care quality of services inspections, on March 8 was terminated from government reimbursement by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, officials said.

Signature, a chain based in Louisville, Kentucky, with 128 nursing homes including five in Memphis, is appealing its termination with April 8 as the date the nursing home would no longer receive Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement, said Missy Highley, Signature’s vice president of business partnerships.

“As of April 8, CMS and the state will no longer reimburse this location for care provided to Medicare and Medicaid residents and we are appealing the decision,” Highley said.

Residents at the nursing home are transferring to other facilities of their choice, she said. On Thursday, the facility had 93 residents for the facility, which has 178 beds available, saidHighley.

“The safety and care of our residents is our foremost concern and will be,” she said.

Signature on March 10 filed notice with the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development of a “temporary layoff” of 215 workers at the facility, effective April 7.

However, Highley said the company

is working with employees to transfer to other Signature nursing homes pending the outcome of the company’s appeal of termination from the Medicare and Medicaid programs, which provide for the elderly, low-income and disabled people.

The nursing home scored “much below average” on health surveys last September and October, triggering penalties that by February included more than $1.2 million in fines.