SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has moved to revoke the operating license of Emerald Park Health Care Center and fined the facility $10,000 for substantial failure to comply with the Nursing Home Care Act. The 249-bed skilled and intermediate care facility is located at S. Pulaski Rd. in Evergreen Park, Ill.

The owners of Emerald Park Health Care Center have requested a hearing to contest the IDPH’s action and, as a result, the revocation action will be delayed until a hearing has been held. No hearing date has been scheduled.

Responding to a complaint, IDPH surveyors most recently learned the facility failed to provide adequate personal care and supervision to a resident who engaged in sexual activity with multiple partners in exchange for favors and cigarettes.

The facility was aware the resident was unable to make safe behavioral choices and was at risk for sexual abuse or exploitation. In addition, she had a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and her sexual partners were not counseled about the possibility of acquiring an STD.

When the resident was examined to evaluate her STD, doctors discovered the woman was eight months pregnant. The facility had failed to monitor the resident for possible pregnancy and, once pregnant, did not identify the condition or provide pre-natal care.

The resident’s physician told an IDPH surveyor the resident was not capable of making any medical decisions regarding her care and treatment and she does not understand the consequences of having unprotected sex.

Despite knowing many residents were sexually active, the facility did not have a program to teach and train sexually active residents about safe sex practices.

Over the past two years, the facility also has been disciplined for other serious violations. They include:

-- In October , the facility was fined $20,000 for not providing nursing services in accordance with residents’ needs. The facility failed to properly monitor the health of a resident who passed out after becoming intoxicated, to report resident abuse, to prevent a resident from leaving the facility unnoticed and to provide special rehabilitative programs to mentally ill residents.

 
-- In July , the facility was fined $5,000 for not protecting a resident from physical and mental abuse. A resident was interrogated by a facility security guard who refused to let the resident leave the room, pushed the resident and put him in a police hold. The resident told surveyors that he had been interrogated and harassed by this security guard on other occasions and he had reported these to management.

Source: Illinois Department of Public Health