A Florida-based health care company is poised to purchase Autumn Health Care of Zanesville.
Greystone Healthcare Management Corp. recently submitted an application to the Ohio Department of Health asking to operate its prospective business, Zanesville Nursing Home LLC., at 1420 Autumn Drive in Zanesville, the current Autumn Health Care site, ODH spokeswoman Melanie Amatto said.
The application comes amid a slew of felony charges launched earlier this year by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office against Autumn Health Care of Zanesville and its owner, Steve Hitchens.
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine accused Hitchens of providing substandard care to patients and forging documents to cover up poor treatment after an investigation was prompted by complaints from relatives of nursing home residents, DeWine previously said.
Videos reportedly revealed staff members giving improper medical, nutritional and personal care. The staff are accused of falsifying documents to make it appear as if proper care were provided, DeWine said.
Hitchens, 58, of Newark, was indicted in June on 39 counts, including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, a first-degree felony; two counts of Medicaid fraud, each a fourth-degree felony; and 17 counts of forgery, each a fifth-degree felony.
Autumn Health Care of Zanesville also was indicted on 16 charges, including one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, a first-degree felony, and theft by deception, a fourth-degree felony.
The trial is scheduled for 9 a.m. Jan. 28 in Franklin County Common Pleas Court, room 4B.
Hitchens declined to comment on the potential sale, adding that he’s “trying to do the best thing for the facility and everyone involved.”
“Nothing’s changed at this point,” Hitchens said. “Greystone has put their foot in the water. … Right now, lawsuits are still pending and we’re still proceeding with all that. Everything’s up in the air.”
Autumn Health Care of Zanesville filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and the state health department, alleging the offices violated protocol by accepting the videos from the attorney general’s office and citing the facility for violations when it was working to make improvements requested by a previous review.
Greystone currently operates a nursing home and rehabilitation facility in Gahanna, which has been in operation for several years. Officials with the Florida-based health care company said discussions about the sale were “confidential.”
The state issues each health care facility a license for a specific number of Medicaid- and Medicare-approved beds. Autumn Health Care offered 100 such beds before its certification was revoked in 2013. There are now nine people residing there at their own expense, officials said.
Muskingum County currently offers 655 Medicaid- and Medicare-certified beds at seven other facilities, records show.
Autumn Health Care operates nursing homes in several counties, including Coshocton and Licking. Neither of those facilities is affected by the court proceedings.
