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Feds fine Cleveland-based Life Care Center over violations at Washington nursing home connected with 40 COVID-19 deaths

A patient is removed from Life Care Center, a nursing home, in Kirkland, Wash., on Feb. 29, 2020. At least four residents of the nursing center have died in Washington State and four others in the center and an employee have also learned they have the virus. (Grant Hindsley/The New York Times)
A patient is removed from Life Care Center, a nursing home, in Kirkland, Wash., on Feb. 29, 2020. At least four residents of the nursing center have died in Washington State and four others in the center and an employee have also learned they have the virus. (Grant Hindsley/The New York Times) A patient is removed from Life Care Center, a nursing home, in Kirkland, Wash., on Feb. 29, 2020. At least four residents of the nursing center have died in Washington State and four others in the center and an employee have also learned they have the virus. (Grant Hindsley/The New York Times)

By Dave Flessner, compiler 2 min read

Federal authorities have proposed a $611,000 fine for a Kirkland, Washington, nursing home connected to at least 40 coronavirus deaths.

State regulators and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services conducted an inspection of the Life Care Center of Kirkland on March 16, finding serious infractions that they said placed residents in immediate danger. The center is one more than 250 nursing homes and senior facilities in 28 states that are owned and operated by the Cleveland, Tenn.-based Life Care Centers of America.

Authorities said Life Care had at least partially fixed the most serious problems by the time they conducted follow-up inspection last weekend. In a letter to Life Care on Wednesday, CMS proposed a fine of $611,000, but said that could be adjusted up or down based on how Life Care continues to correct remaining problems.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said the Life Care Center of Kirkland may be terminated from Medicare and Medicaid participation if it is unable to come into compliance with federal regulations by September. Officials levied a fine of $13,585 per day covering a span of six weeks.

The state Department of Social and Health Services issued its own findings, halting new admissions at the facility. The state said Life Care did not have an adequate infection control system in place and failed to provide quality care, among other findings.