Latest news with #IowaDepartmentofInspections
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Nursing home operator denies retaliating against alleged whistleblowing nurse
The corporate headquarters for Care Initiatives in West Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo via Google Earth) One of Iowa's largest nursing home chains is denying allegations that it fired a nurse in retaliation for her quality-of-care complaints to state regulators. The chain, Care Initiatives of West Des Moines, is currently facing three separate whistleblower lawsuits stemming from unrelated incidents. The company operates 44 care facilities in Iowa. In the most recent case, Tina Weber of Clemens states that from May 2021 through October 2024, she worked as a registered nurse at an unspecified Care Initiatives facility in Marshall County. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Weber claims that on Oct. 5, 2024, she witnessed an incident involving a resident with schizophrenia, using a wheelchair, and a human resources worker. According to the lawsuit, the two were engaged in an argument and when the resident attempted to leave in his wheelchair, the human resources worker grabbed the handles of the wheelchair, causing the resident to fall out of the wheelchair to the ground. Weber reported the incident to the assistant director of nursing and recorded the incident in the resident's chart. The next day, Weber alleges, the home's director of nursing texted Weber, writing, 'Could you strike out original note and when putting in about the wheelchair say she was assisting with the wheelchair and he put himself on the ground as she tried to de-escalate him and explain that he was not allow to smoke and the policy?' Weber allegedly responded, 'So not the truth?' On Oct. 11, 2024, an administrator allegedly asked Weber to change her account of the incident in the resident's chart. Weber refused. Later that day, the lawsuit alleges, a corporate employee of Care Initiatives instructed Weber to change the resident's chart so it didn't indicate the resident's fall was the result of an altercation with the staff. Weber again refused and, the lawsuit claims, she then reported the incident to state regulators who forwarded it to the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing, which oversees nursing homes. Five days later, a state inspector visited the nursing home to investigate the matter, the lawsuit alleges. The next day, the lawsuit alleges, Care Initiatives fired Weber. The lawsuit claims the company fired Weber due to her reports and complaints regarding the health, safety, and well-being of one of its residents. The lawsuit seeks unspecified actual and punitive damages for Weber's firing. In its response to the lawsuit, Care Initiatives says it 'did not terminate or take any adverse action at any time against (Weber) for participation in any alleged protected activity, including her alleged reports/complaints-both internally and externally.' The company says that it acted in good faith, without malice or disregard of Weber's rights. A trial is scheduled for June 9, 2026. Care Initiatives is currently the target of two other lawsuits alleging a form of whistleblower retaliation. In one of those cases, Tylene Schultz states that in the summer of 2022, she was hired at Fonda Specialty Care by its then-administrator, Jennifer Blair, to work in the home as a certified nursing assistant. On Feb. 18, 2023, the home allegedly scheduled a temp-agency nurse, Becky Manning, to work the overnight shift due to a shortage of staff nurses. During the shift, a resident with a tracheostomy passed away about 2:25 a.m., according to the lawsuit. State records indicate the resident who died was 87-year-old Marvin 'Pete' Jacobs, who had undergone a tracheostomy and needed regular suctioning of his airway. The lawsuit claims Jacobs died because throughout the shift, Manning refused to numerous requests to suction Jacobs' airway. 'Despite multiple requests by Schultz to suction the resident — over 10 times, from 6 p.m. on Feb.18, 2023, to 2:25 a.m., Feb.19, 2023 — Manning would not suction the resident, nor did she attempt to use the suction machine,' the lawsuit claims. According to the lawsuit, after Schultz left the home at the end of her shift, she received multiple text messages from Blair that said, 'Keep your mouth shut and keep your opinions to yourself,' along with instructions that she should not communicate with Jacobs' family. Later that day, Schultz was summoned to a meeting with Blair at Fonda Specialty Care. During the meeting, the lawsuit claims, Blair — who was allegedly was aware Schultz planned to call state regulators and report her concerns with Jacobs' care — informed Schultz she was being fired due to 'resident complaints.' Manning was charged with felony wanton neglect of a resident of a health care facility and later was sentenced to two years in prison on a reduced charge of misdemeanor wanton neglect. Manning also entered into an agreement with the Iowa Board of Nursing in which she agreed to indefinitely suspend her practice of nursing. Schultz's lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for wrongful termination. Care Initiatives has denied any wrongdoing and alleges that Schultz's dismissal was based on legitimate, nondiscriminatory, and nonretaliatory business reasons. A trial is scheduled for Aug. 4, 2026. The third current whistleblower case against Care Initiatives involves Kandus Jellison, who worked at the company's Oakwood Specialty Care in Albia. Jellison has alleged she was fired in June 2022 after she intervened on behalf of a resident who was refused hospital care and then helped the man call 911. Jellison sued Care Initiatives in part for allegedly violating the Iowa law that bars employers from taking action against workers for reporting dependent adult abuse or assisting with an abuse-related complaint or investigation. Care Initiatives has argued that while it's a crime for a company to retaliate against workers who assist with abuse investigations, the Iowa Legislature didn't intend for workers to use such a violation as the basis for a civil lawsuit. A judge agreed and dismissed one element of the lawsuit, but let the remainder of the case proceed. Care Initiatives has denied any wrongdoing in the matter, and a trial is scheduled for March 30, 2026. A fourth whistleblower case against Care Initiatives was settled several months ago. In that case, Stephanie Schlegelmilch sued the company, alleging that while working as the director of nursing for the chain's Avoca Specialty Care, she was terminated in violation of public policy. Schlegelmilch alleged she was fired shortly after she confronted a regional nurse for Care Initiatives and questioned why she wasn't wearing a mask during a COVID-19 outbreak in the home. Care Initiatives denied any wrongdoing in the case, and the case was dismissed in December 2024 after an out-of-court settlement was reached. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
State-run Woodward facility fined for resident injuries
The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing handles inspections of the state-run Woodward Resource Center. (Photo illustration via Getty Images; logo courtesy of the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing) The state-run Woodward Resource Center for adults with disabilities has been cited for two incidents that resulted in residents being treated at a hospital for injuries. According to state records, the facility has been fined $2,750 due to the staff being unable to demonstrate the skills and techniques necessary to manage residents' behavior, and failing to provide residents with nursing services required to meet their needs. In one incident, a resident who had complained of acute abdominal pain in March was sent to the emergency room of a hospital where it was discovered he had swallowed a plastic spoon. An endoscopy was then performed to remove the spoon. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX State inspectors allege Woodward officials investigated the matter and reviewed video footage that showed the resident, who was to receive one-on-one monitoring from the staff, sitting at the dining room table and putting a spoon in his mouth and down his throat. The footage allegedly showed the worker assigned to watch him left the area at least once. Inspectors reported, without elaborating, that the video footage was 'unavailable' for them to review. The resident suffered from pica – the practice of eating inedible objects – and had previously swallowed batteries, coins and rocks. A Ziploc bag containing plastic straws and spoons was found in his bedroom after the incident involving the spoon. In the second incident, a resident of the home was transported to the hospital the evening of March 17, 2025, a day and a half after the staff had noticed one knee was bruised, swollen and unable to bear weight. The home's administrator of nursing later confirmed the staff should have notified Woodward's physician on the morning of March 16, 2025, when they first became aware of the injury. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Brain-injured woman wandered from Iowa facility before being found at Nebraska truck stop
Community NeuroRehab at Glen Oaks is a five-bed residential care facility in Coralville, Iowa. (Photo via Google Earth) A female resident of a Coralville care facility wandered from the home earlier this year and was later found at a Nebraska truck stop 265 miles away. The incident occurred in January at Community NeuroRehab's Glen Oaks facility in Coralville, a state-licensed, five-bed residential care facility for people with mental or developmental disabilities. Newly disclosed state records show that a worker at the facility told state inspectors on May 14, 2025, that she was working the morning shift at 9:40 a.m. on Jan. 2, 2025, when she checked on a resident who was due for her medication. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The resident, who had previously been diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury, dementia and psychological issues, was not in her room. The worker discovered a bent window screen underneath the bed, and in looking out the window she saw a footprint on top of an air-conditioning unit directly under the window. It was snowing at the time, and the temperature was around 22 degrees. The staff then launched a search for the woman in the community. Shortly after 5 p.m., the resident's mother called the facility to report that her daughter had been found, confused and frightened, 265 miles away at a truck stop in Gretna, Nebraska. According to state inspectors' reports, the woman had 'hitched a ride from a semi-driver who drove her to Nebraska.' In their written report, state inspectors said the woman had 'engaged in some type of sexual activity,' as determined by the medical provider she saw on Jan. 3, 2025, 'resulting in a very traumatic 24 hours.' A review of lab work revealed that testing for sexually transmitted infections was negative, the inspectors reported. A worker at the home allegedly told inspectors she had been trained to check and make sure each resident was present at the beginning of her shift but acknowledged she had not done so on Jan. 2, 2025. Inspectors concluded the resident had walked 2.3 miles through a mostly residential neighborhood to an interstate highway and then hitched a ride where she appeared to have been picked up by the driver of a semi-truck. The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing recently fined Community NeuroRehab $3,000 for resident-safety violations related to the incident. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Counselor sanctioned after refusing intoxication test at child advocacy center
The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing administers the state's Board of Nursing and Board of Behavioral Health Professionals as well as other licensing boards. (Main photo by Getty Images; logo courtesy State of Iowa) A Quad-City social worker who was fired after refusing to be tested for intoxication at work has been sanctioned by state regulators. The Iowa Board of Behavioral Health Professionals recently charged social worker Jaime L. Roggenbauer of Bettendorf with knowingly making misleading or untrue statements in the practice of social work, or engaging in unethical conduct harmful to the public, by attempting to practice social work while intoxicated. The board also accused her of interfering with her previous employer's information technology systems. According to the board, Roggenbauer had provided counseling services at a children's advocacy center located in Rock Island, Illinois, since January 2022. She was fired on March 19, 2024, the day her co-workers reported that she appeared chatty, animated and unsteady — a departure from her typical demeanor. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The board alleges that Roggenbauer was fired after she refused a chemical test for intoxication. According to the board, she then changed the password to the center's therapy documentation system, which locked other part-time providers out of the center's database. Roggenbauer denied the allegations, but to resolve the case she recently agreed to a settlement that entails her license being placed on probation for two years, during which time she will work with a practice monitor. Court records show that in 2022, Roggenbauer was convicted of first-offense drunken driving. Other Iowans recently sanctioned by the Iowa Board of Behavioral Health Professionals include: — Kelly Sachau of Sioux City, who is alleged to have maintained a relationship with a patient from April 2021 to the present. According to the board, the patient received therapy services from Sachau while the two maintained a personal relationship. In October 2022, Sachau ended her relationship with the practice group where she worked and took the patient's therapy records and notes with her to her new practice without the patient's written consent. She was charged with failing to comply with ethics guidelines related to patient boundaries and records. Sachau denied having a dual relationship with the patient and denied improper handling of client records and information. To settle the case, she agreed to pay a $750 civil penalty and have her license placed on probation for two years during which time she will work with a practice monitor and complete training on ethics, clinical documentation and professional boundaries. — Trisha Tonelli of Des Moines, who allegedly disclosed confidential information related to the care of a client. She was charged with failing to comply with ethics guidelines on confidentiality, and was issued a warning that similar conduct in the future could result in further disciplinary action. As part of her settlement agreement with the board, Tonelli agreed to complete six hours of ethics training. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Boards move to sanction Iowans licensed through error or fraud
The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing administers and oversees many of Iowa's state licensing boards. (Photo courtesy of Getty Images; logo courtesy the State of Iowa) An Iowa woman appears to have procured her barbering and cosmetology license through fraud, according to state records. Iowa Board of Barbering and Cosmetology recently reached an agreement with Suong Ngoc Nguyen to have Nguyen surrender her cosmetology license. While the agreement does not specify any allegation of misconduct by Nguyen, the charges against her reference administrative rules that are related to procuring a license through fraud, possibly by filing with the board 'any false or forged diploma, certificate, affidavit, identification or qualification.' The agreement suggests the board granted Nguyen a license to work in Iowa four years ago, in 2021, one day after she provided the board with evidence that she was licensed in California. The available board documents do not indicate where Nguyen has worked but suggest she may have lived in Boone at one time. The agreement to have Nguyen surrender her license has little practical effect since board records indicate the license expired in March 2023. According to the board, Nguyen can apply for a new Iowa license in one year. Other recent actions by Iowa licensing authorities include: — The Iowa Board of Massage Therapy has notified Huimin Zhao that it intends to rescind Zhao's massage-therapy license, which the board says it granted only because of a clerical error on its part. According to board documents, Zhao applied for a license in December 2024 and listed JK Holy Career Institute as the school where he completed his education in 2021. However, the institute was decertified in 2019. Despite that, the board responded to Zhao's application in January 2025 by issuing him a license to work in Iowa. The available board documents give no indication as to where Zhao worked in Iowa after his license was issued. — The Iowa Board of Pharmacy reached an agreement with Carl Markley of Ames, who is currently serving a life sentence for sexually abusing and trafficking dozens of children and adults, to surrender his Controlled Substances Act registration. Prosecutors alleged Markley used fraud and coercion to cause dozens of teenage boys and young men, as well as a few young women, to engage in sex acts in exchange for money or other benefits. Markley was a nurse practitioner in Ames and owned several businesses. He surrendered his Iowa nursing license in May 2023.
