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Nursing Home Owner Ordered To Repay Money From Medicaid, Medicare

The company that runs a Zanesville nursing home has been ordered to repay 129 thousand dollars fraudulently obtained from Medicare and Medicaid. Jim Letizia reports.  

An investigation by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office found the owner and other employees repeatedly altered documents to make it appear patients were getting care in order to receive the aid. Autumn Health Care pleaded guilty to multiple charges last October. 61-year-old owner Steven Hitchens of Newark entered Alford pleas to multiple counts and sentenced to three years of community control and 100 hours of community service. Six nurses were convicted of forgery and a seventh nurse was convicted of tampering with records. The AG investigated in 2012 after relatives complained about the treatment of patients. The investigation found several cases of mistreatment or therapies that were not needed. The Ohio Department of Health revoked the facility’s license in 2013 and charges were filed in 2014. 

 
 
 

Jim has been with WCBE since 1996. Before that he worked as a reporter at another Columbus radio station, and for three newspapers in Southwest Florida.
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