By Teresa Palmer, MD, Geriatrics/Family Practice (Attending Physician at Laguna Honda 1989-2004)
A final reprieve from closing Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Facility (LHH), our 780- bed public nursing home, was given by the federal government (CMS-Center for Medicare and Medicaid services) on May 18. This was just one day before evictions of all residents was scheduled to start.
CMS gave the reprieve reluctantly due to a serious citation (“immediate jeopardy”) that appeared after staff was supposedly trained to avoid these. (This deficiency in resident care was: having no plan for monitoring a known suicide risk.)
Evictions and closure now start Sept 19, 2023. Funding by the federal government (80% of LHH cost) stops March 19 2024. Since CMS shut down new admissions in April 2022, only about 530 residents are left at LHH. Between April and July 2022, 12 of 57 residents who were evicted died.
LHH may apply for recertification (and re-opening to admissions) as early as July of 2023. This would prevent evictions and closure. However, LHH will only be recertified if its house is in order. Delays past September are likely. Evictions may resume in the interim.
For Laguna Honda to be recertified (and to avoid closure and evictions), CMS has very detailed and strict requirements, as detailed in a May 18 letter from CMS which can be downloaded here: CMS Laguna Honda Letter.
The requirements include adequate support by the State (California Department of Public Health, along with the following:
1. A Certified Nursing Home Administrator must be hired by June 26.
2.There can be no more “immediate jeopardy” citations.
3. All levels of government (Federal, State and Local) and unions must collaborate to recertify Laguna Honda.
4. Eviction and dispersal of residents will be a statewide issue and the State must manage this. A plan from the State is due July 31.
What needs to happen locally:
All San Franciscans have to pull together to insist that Laguna Honda be saved intact, with no evictions or bed cuts. This cannot be at the expense of the housing/treatment needs of folks who require other other settings, or vice versa. If we are divided, we fall.
Upon recertification, our City Attorney must request, and CDPH/CMS must approve a waiver of the 2:1 bed to bathroom ratio to prevent the loss of 120 beds.
The Board of Supervisors must insist on a new system of oversight for Laguna Honda so this will never happen again. The Mayor must co-operate as it is under that watch of serial mayors that this mess happened.
Please see “Laguna Honda Call to Action” on SF Gray Panther Website-we keep this updated: SF Gray Panther - Laguna Honda Call to Action