The head of the Maryland agency tasked with regulating nursing home safety will resign effective June 27, several weeks after a lawsuit revealed a substantial backlog in inspections and complaint investigations.
A lawsuit filed in May accused OHCQ of violating the Americans With Disabilities Act by failing to inspect facilities and address a backlog of complaints of subpar and even dangerous conditions. According to federal data, Maryland has the second-highest percentage of overdue annual nursing home inspections in the nation, after Kentucky. More than 80 percent of the state’s nursing homes have a recertification survey that is at least 17 months late, and the state has failed to inspect 104 nursing facilities for more than four years. The lawsuit claims those delays led to violations of residents’ rights and in some cases may have led to serious injuries. The lawsuit was filed by Justice in Aging in partnership with the Public Justice Center and Arnold & Porter.
