State officials ask judge to place Woodland nursing home into receivership

State officials who warned the owners of a long-troubled Andover nursing home that they were being kept under a watchful eye as violations and neglectful actions against residents continued to pile up are coming through on their promises.

Gov. Phil Murphy and officials with the New Jersey Department of Health are petitioning a state Superior Court judge to employ a receiver to assume control of Woodland Behavioral and Nursing Center, according to a statement by state officials.

"New Jersey will not tolerate long-term care facility operators who cannot provide the care our most vulnerable residents need and deserve," Murphy said in a release. "Our state agencies will employ the greatest authority we have to prevent these operators from continuing to place the residents of this nursing home in jeopardy."

If granted, the significant move by the state's top leaders would lead to the appointment of an individual or business to take over the facilities' finances, to retain staff and maintain proper services for residents, the statement says.

Woodland would not immediately shut down, but it is believed the receiver would seek a buyer for the facility.

Chaim "Mutty" Scheinbaum, who co-owns Woodland with Louis Schwartz, the eldest son of Joseph Schwartz who was charged in January in a 22-count indictment federal tax fraud scheme, did not respond to a request for comment.

The step was not one officials took lightly, but one that will ensure the safety and well-being of the residents at Woodland, said Judith Persichilli, the state's health commissioner.

The state's announcement comes two years after the embattled facility, formerly called Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center II, was cast in the national spotlight after police discovered 17 bodies in a makeshift morgue at the height of the pandemic.

Admissions were halted and federal regulators threatened to pull funding for the Medicare-reliant facility in March after finding a litany of abusive and neglectful actions by staff members that placed residents in "immediate jeopardy." They stopped short on doing so, but vowed if the violations persisted, they would consider termination proceedings in August.

The state Health Department in March selected Atlantic Health System to serve as a monitor at Woodland where a team would assess operations, infrastructure and business practices for up to 90 days. While it is  unclear what the monitor found — Atlantic Health reports are not disclosed to the public— it is possible their findings led to Tuesday's decision.

State officials in the release said that despite guidance by the monitors and state and federal authorities, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which provides funding to the private facility, the operators have "failed to address and maintain adequate staffing levels and safe environment of care."

Human Services Commissioner Sarah Adelman said that after several attempts by multiple state and federal departments to intervene and with Woodland not taking any systemic quality improvements, a step toward receivership is necessary. Her department will work with CMS and Woodland to provide support to residents and family members during the transition.

Laurie Brewer, the state's long-term care ombudsman, applauded the state's move, stating that conditions at the facility have remained poor for both residents and staff members.

"The people living at Woodland deserve capable, committed leadership from facility operators who value their autonomy, dignity and quality of life, yet current leadership has clearly failed to even marginally turn things around," Brewer said.

Earlier this year, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, whose 5th Congressional District includes Andover Township, sought an investigation into the nursing home. 

"I refuse to stand by while Jersey seniors are put at risk. It’s clear that investigations, fines, and promises of improvement from the current owners of Andover Subacute haven’t been enough," Gottheimer said in a statement Wednesday.

Members of the New Jersey National Guard were deployed to the facility amid a rise in COVID cases in January. On Wednesday, around a dozen were seen coming and going from the facility in uniform, all wearing face masks.

The facility was once home to upwards of 500 residents, but the number have dropped to 360, Murphy said.

Lori Comstock can be reached on Twitter: @LoriComstockNJH, on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/LoriComstockNJH or by phone: 973-383-1194.

This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: Woodland Behavioral: State officials seek receivership of nursing home