Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center found guilty of falsifying records
PITTSBURGH ― On Monday, a federal jury found two local nursing homes guilty of submitting false statements about staffing to the government.
The charges were originally filed against the Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center and the Mount Lebanon Rehabilitation and Wellness Center, which are both owned by Comprehensive Healthcare Management Services. Investigators discovered the medical facilities had falsified staffing documents to meet compliance with Medicare and Medicaid regulations.
According to the announcement of the verdict, these falsified records were provided to avoid penalties related to the lack of necessary staff to treat patients' needs. Court records indicate the care facilities were accused of having employees clock in to appear to meet federal staffing requirements, but these employees were not actively working. Investigators also accused the facilities of falsifying patient records to keep them in care longer, earning the organizations several Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements.
The Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in Brighton Township, charged as a company, was found guilty of five counts related to falsifying records during a federal investigation and one count of healthcare fraud. Mount Lebanon Rehabilitation and Wellness Center was found guilty of four counts of falsifying records, with one of the counts related to falsifying healthcare documents.
Charges against the five co-defendants in the case were dropped by the jury, resulting in charges only being associated with the corporations. Judges will schedule sentencing related to these company charges in May.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center found guilty of falsifying records
