Former Admin. of state closed nursing home takes over another home

[cougarnurse]

OK...... Daily Herald | Former owner of state-closed nursing home takes over Palatine facility

The owner of a company that's taken over a nursing home in Palatine previously was administrator of a nursing home that the state shut down for "gross mismanagement," but the owner vows to maintain the quality of his new four-star facility.

Since March 1, YAM Management of Skokie has been managing The Plum Grove of Palatine, in anticipation of eventual ownership.

YAM are the initials of principal Yosef A. Meystel, who was administrator of the Emerald Park Healthcare Center in Evergreen Park before it was closed by the state in 2005.

Meystel said he was only in charge of the facility in its last year of operation, after it had been cited for numerous serious violations. He added that he handles only the financial aspect of running Plum Grove, while partner David Berkowitz handles operations.

Ronald Porep, who has a parent living at Plum Grove, said he was concerned about the management change.

"As a family, we are concerned about the quality of care the new owners will provide," he said. "We want to know if and how good care quality for my mom will be guaranteed. We are also concerned about any planned rate increases."

Berkowitz said that though YAM has named a new licensed administrator at Plum Grove, Lisa Ulbert, they do not plan any major changes at the intermediate care, 69-bed home.

"Everything is going to stay the same," he said. "We only intend to provide the best quality care we can for our patients."

When the Evergreen Park nursing home closed in 2005, a state prosecutor reportedly said Meystel was one of the "reasons the place is in the position it is in," and was at the facility contrary to a court order, telling residents to transfer to other homes under the same owner. The home was cited for 168 violations in eight years, including letting residents wander off, as well as being home to unregistered sex offenders.

No change of ownership has been approved by the state, as required by law, because YAM is only managing Plum Grove for now, and won't take ownership until a sale is closed, which has not been scheduled.

Illinois requires criminal background checks of potential new owners of nursing homes, but the shut-down of one home does not keep Meystel from owning others.

YAM operates eight other nursing homes in Illinois, including Highland Park Nursing & Rehab. Despite some violations common to many nursing homes, Meystel said YAM facilities are in general good standing with the state.

Before Emerald Park, Meystel worked as administrator at Burnham Healthcare in south suburban Burnham, and since went into consulting, then began buying his own properties in 2006.

Berkowitz led a group that took over Berkshire Nursing & Rehab in Forest Park and improved it enough last year to get it removed from a federal list of substandard facilities.

The co-owner of Plum Grove, Aaron Shpayher of Skokie, said he did not know anything about Meystel, but said he gave up control of the facility because of financial difficulties.

"I can understand why families would be concerned," he said, "because they don't know what the future will be."

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid rates Plum Grove above average, with four out of five stars.

To answer questions about the future of the facility, Plum Grove will hold a meeting for residents and families at 5 p.m. today at the home, at 24 S. Plum Grove Road.

From past stories, I understand this guy did NOT own Emerald Park, just managed it.