North Jersey Pediatric and Adult Nursing and Wellness Center
The Phoenix Center for Rehabilitation and Pediatrics is a long-term care center and nursing home in Haskell, New Jersey.[1][2] It is a for-profit center that provides treatment to children who are medically fragile or are receiving palliative care. As of October 2018, it had 92 pediatric long-term care beds[3] and 135 for elderly residents,[4] also operating as a long-term nursing home and a rehabilitation center.[5] In July 2019, it was sold and renamed the North Jersey Pediatric and Adult Nursing and Wellness Center.[6]
| North Jersey Pediatric and Adult Nursing and Wellness Center | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Geography | |
| Location | 1433 Ringwood Ave, Haskell, New Jersey, United States |
| Coordinates | 41°00′51″N 74°17′54″W / 41.014260°N 74.298436°W |
| Organization | |
| Type | For-profit |
| Links | |
| Website | www |
In late 2018, a severe adenovirus outbreak at the facility received international attention.[7][8] Ultimately, 11 children died[9] and 36 residents and one staff member were diagnosed[10] in "one of the nation's deadliest long-term-care outbreaks."[4]
History
editIn 2014 it was purchased by Eugene Ehrenfeld and Daniel Bruckstein[11] of Continuum Healthcare LLC.[12] In December 2018, Eugene Ehrenfeld and David Bruckstein continued to own the facility.[13] Wanaque Center, in July 2019, was renamed the North Jersey Pediatric and Adult Nursing and Wellness Center.[6] It had been sold to new owners and was awaiting approval from the state for the transfer of its license.[14]
2018 adenovirus outbreak
edit- Main topic: 2018 United States adenovirus outbreak
The 2018 United States adenovirus outbreak began at the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation.[2]
The head of the New Jersey Department of Health was notified on October 19, when five children had died.[15]
A hearing was held by the state Senate Health Committee on the Wanaque outbreak[4] on December 3, 2018. Wanaque Center failed to send a representative,[4] saying that it was protecting patient privacy[13] and that the hearing was not the appropriate place to discuss the outbreak.[15] Senator Richard Codey suggested that the Senate subpoena the Wanaque Center owners to attend if they refused in the future.[13] At the hearing, the NJ health department head announced that state health policy had been changed as a result of the outbreak, requiring the health commissioner to be notified immediately when outbreaks result in the deaths of children.[15]
2019 investigations and bill
editOn March 2, 2019, Wanaque Center was fined $600,000 by the federal government based on state and federal inspections.[16] Wanaque Center attorneys said they would contest the findings.[17] On March 29, 2019, it was reported that the center could resume admitting pediatric ventilator patients[18] after the state ban lifted.[19] At the time, Senator Codey was calling for a criminal probe into the center, arguing the facility should not be operating.[18]
In spring 2019, another respiratory virus outbreak, hMPV, infected three staff members and three patients at Wanaque. Wanaque followed new protocols, with no deaths.[20]
In direct response to the Wanaque outbreak, on June 6, 2019, a New Jersey health department report called for a new law requiring long-term care facilities to develop disease outbreak plans.[10][21][22][23] A new bill based on the report was signed by the governor in August 2019,[14] after passing both houses of state legislature late June 2019.[6] At the time the bill was signed, Wanague remained under state and federal investigation for how it handled the outbreak.[24]
Facility
editBy February 28, 2019, the center still had 92 beds for children and 135 for elderly residents.[4] In June 2019, it was one of 11 New Jersey nursing homes flagged by federal inspectors for persistently unsafe conditions by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.[25]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center". Wanaque Center. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
- ^ a b "The Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, Passaic County". www.wanaquerehab.com. Retrieved 2019-05-06.
- ^ "Virus Kills Seven Children at New Jersey Medical Facility". The Wall Street Journal. October 24, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e "'I knew we had a problem after the 4th death': Failures led to 11 Wanaque center deaths". NorthJersey.com. February 27, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
- ^ "6 children dead in adenovirus outbreak at pediatric care facility". Politico. October 23, 2018.
- ^ a b c "New owners to take over Wanaque nursing home where 11 children died in virus outbreak". NorthJersey.com. July 1, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ^ "Company leaders are faulted in outbreak that killed 11 kids". The Associated Press. February 27, 2019.
- ^ "Death toll hits 7 in viral outbreak at pediatric center". Associated Press. October 24, 2018.
- ^ "A Virus Outbreak Has Killed 11 Children at a New Jersey Health Center. Here's What to Know". Time. November 1, 2018. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
- ^ a b "State Health Department Calls for Requiring Outbreak Plan". US News. June 6, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
- ^ "Adenovirus outbreak: Wanaque nursing home workers speak of grief, stress". NorthJersey.com. November 30, 2018.
- ^ "Adenovirus outbreak: Health Department orders admissions at Wanaque center to cease". North Jersey Record. November 16, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Virus outbreak: Families of Wanaque children attend hearing, but not center's owners". NorthJersey.com. December 3, 2018.
- ^ a b "After 11 died at Wanaque nursing home, Murphy signs law to prevent future deadly outbreaks". NorthJersey.com. August 15, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ^ a b c ""Breakdown in protocols" led to deadly adenovirus outbreak, official says". CBS News. December 5, 2018.
- ^ "Wanaque Nursing Home Fined $600K After Death Of 11 Kids: Report". Patch.com. March 2, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
- ^ "9 N.J. nursing homes may soon be ranked among the worst in the country". NJ.com. June 5, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
- ^ a b "N.J. Lawmaker Calls For Criminal Investigation As Wanaque Center Starts Admitting New Patients". CBS New York. March 29, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
- ^ "Nursing home leadership faulted for adenovirus outbreak that killed 11 children, federal report says". NBC News. February 28, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
- ^ "Wanaque police investigating alleged assault at care facility where 11 children died in virus outbreak". NorthJersey.com. August 9, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ^ "State Health Department calls for requiring outbreak plan". Idaho Statesman. June 6, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
- ^ "Adenovirus NJ outbreak deaths of 11 children lead to policy changes at nursing homes". NorthJersey.com. June 6, 2019.
- ^ "After 11 Children Died, NJ Has Plan to Avoid Future Outbreak". Retrieved June 13, 2019.
- ^ "Wanaque Fatal Virus Outbreak Prompts New NJ Law". Patch.com. August 16, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ^ "Senators Reveal List of Troubled Nursing Homes: 11 New Jersey Nursing Homes Flagged for Harmful Conditions". The National Law Review. June 11, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2019.