Arizona wants care unit where patient was raped to stay open

PHOENIX — The embattled operators of an Arizona long-term care facility agreed Friday to be regulated by the state, effectively nixing a plan to close down the unit where an incapacitated woman gave birth after being raped.

Patrick Ptak, spokesman for Gov. Doug Ducey, said the state received written confirmation that Hacienda HealthCare would enter into a voluntary regulation agreement.

“This is good news and the best immediate outcome as it means Hacienda patients and families would be allowed to stay in the home they’ve known for years while ensuring new and enhanced protections and oversight are put in place,” Ptak said in a statement.

Under the agreement, Hacienda will have to devise a long-term plan and timeline that prioritizes health and safety at the intermediate care facility where the victim resided. Hacienda will also have to employ an onsite evaluator to make sure necessary changes have been met.

The care provider will have to work with an outside health care consultant until the state finds it is in compliance. All these conditions will also apply to the skilled nursing facility, which shares the same campus. State agencies had issued an ultimatum after Hacienda HealthCare announced its decision to shut down Thursday.

The provider would have to comply with an order to hire a long-term third-party management team. The other option was to allow the state Department of Health Services to hold licensing authority over the facility.