Feds fine Hilo veterans home for infection control deficiencies

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The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services is fining Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home $510,640 for failing to correct COVID-19 infection control deficiencies and for other deficiencies, the state Department of Health said in a Friday statement.

The fines are in connection with a series of unannounced site visits last year at the home, which had an outbreak that resulted in the deaths of 27 residents.

Other remedies imposed on the facility include the denial of payment for new admissions and a directed plan of correction.

Mismanagement at the veterans home caused the East Hawaii Region of Hawaii Health Systems Corp. took over management of the facility from the private Avalon Health Care on Jan. 1.