NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Some people are upset that a nursing home owned by Metro is closing its doors.
Mary Lee said her sister, Teresa Yates, is one of the 135 residents who stay at the Nashville Community Care and Rehabilitation at Bordeaux facility. It's known as being a place where people with little means can get long-term care. “She’s been there for almost 26 years, and ya know we’re not financially able to supplement or pay for her to go to a private facility," Lee said.
The nursing home is owned by Metro but operated by Signature HealthCARE. They plan on meeting with families soon to find residents a new place to live. If residents don’t have any family members, they will be appointed someone to help them, according to a spokesperson.
Mary said she can't take care of her sister on her own as Teresa has a brain injury. "She’s unable to walk, she’s on a feeding tube," Lee said, “I am blindsided, I am angry, I mean this administration is not putting what should be a priority… I mean they want to do everything else for this city, sports and all that kind of stuff, and yet you have people who are long-time residents who are in need, and they’re not taking care of them.”
Mayor John Cooper's spokesperson, Chris Song, issued a statement:
"The current contract for the Bordeaux Long Term Care facility expires on January 31, 2021, and the contract for CuraHealth Long Term Acute Care Facility ends on December 31, 2020. Pursuant to an RFQ that ended on 9/21/20, Metro solicited a new tenant for the facility that reflects the long-term values and desires of the community of Bordeaux as expressed in the comprehensive Bordeaux Redevelopment Plan of 2015.
The RFQ provided that any use consistent with the Bordeaux Redevelopment Plan of 2015 and with the terms of the RFQ would be considered. However, if an applicant were to propose the continuation of healthcare services at the property, Metro was seeking an experienced healthcare provider with a proven track record of demonstrating a commitment to high quality patient care as well as the ability to commit sufficient resources to the project.
No bids were submitted in response to the RFQ. Since Signature also chose not to submit a bid, we were contractually required to send notice of wind-down to Signature HealthCARE.
The Nashville Community Care & Rehabilitation Center at Bordeaux has remained a staple in North Nashville. Unfortunately, the center has been struggling to retain patients at even one-third of its licensed capacity. We believe that all Nashvillians, regardless of financial standing, are entitled to high-quality care. Largely due to the age of the building, the Signature facility at Bordeaux is rated 1-out-of-5-stars by CMS. Of course, this is not acceptable for our city or for its patients.
Because other skilled nursing facilities in the area have significant excess capacity, it is not anticipated that there will be difficulty finding suitable accommodations for the patients at Bordeaux, and we have as a goal to see that patients are transferred to higher-rated facilities where quality of care is of the highest priority.
The existing operators will work with the State of Tennessee to begin winding down operations at each facility. The operators will work with families to transfer all patients to other facilities with better standing, which will lead to higher quality care for its current patients. The State will supervise the wind down."
However, the spokesperson for Signature HealthCARE tells a different story. They said they would have continued operating the nursing home if Metro would have allowed them to do that. They issued a statement. It said in part:
"Signature HealthCARE offered to continue managing Bordeaux, contingent upon a new and mutually agreeable contract. However, pursuant to the contract, Metro sent Signature notice on 9/22/2020 of their election to have Signature discontinue all operations and start winding-down all Bordeaux resident care operations, in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. Signature greatly values its residents, staff, and business partners at Bordeaux, and accordingly, will continue to work in good faith with the State of Tennessee, Metro, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services until all residents have been safely transitioned to a new home of their choice, and thereafter. As this is an extensive process, no concrete date has been set for the completion of the wind-down."
It appears officials have a new plan for the property in mind, but that hasn't been released publicly. You may remember, in June, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a $30-million settlement with Signature Healthcare for allegedly filing false Medicare claims. As previously reported, the healthcare company promised that it would build a state of the art facility to replace the current building, but that never materialized.
