California Attorney General Bonta welcomed a decision by the Alameda County Superior Court placing all 19 of the Mariner Health skilled nursing facilities under the review of an independent monitor to ensure compliance with minimum nurse staffing level requirements. The court had previously placed only five of the Mariner facilities under review. The ruling is part of a preliminary injunction secured by Attorney General Bonta in January, after he and the District Attorneys of Alameda, Los Angeles, Marin, and Santa Cruz counties filed a civil complaint, alleging that Mariner Health violated California’s Unfair Competition Law and False Advertising Law by understaffing its facilities and subjecting its patients to negligent care while inflating their skilled nursing facilities advertised ratings to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Understaffing left residents vulnerable and the inadequate care resulted in unnecessary amputations, the spread of diseases such as lice and pests among residents, and a high number of unreported sexual assault cases, among other issues. More information on the complaint and Mariner Health’s alleged behavior can be found here.
