Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2011, All Rights Reserved U.S. Data Repository Please read U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the US Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ ========================================================================= U.S. Data Repository NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization. Non-commercial organizations desiring to use this material must obtain the consent of the transcriber prior to use. Individuals desiring to use this material in their own research may do so. ========================================================================= Formatted by U.S. Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =============================================================================== Newspaper: Yonkers Herald Statesman - Sunday, June 24, 1984 =============================================================================== Widespread deficiencies The inspection is part of an annual found at Letchworth Village certification process required by the federal government for Letchworth to By Len Maniace qualify for Medicaid payments, ac- Staff Writer cording to Alan Saperstein, associate regional administrator for the U.S. Widespeard deficiencies at Letch- Health Care Finance Administration. worth Village Developmental Center That agency ultimately decides in Rockland County -- some of them whether Letchworth receives the pay- similar to complaints by parents of ments. residents there in a federal lawsuit filed two weeks ago -- were found The federal government already during a health inspection of the has withheld $58.6 million in Medicaid Thiells center for the mentally re- funds from the state because of short- tarded last spring. comings at Letchworth and four other developmental centers. Medicaid funds Conducted by the state health de- from July 1982 through the end of partment during mid-April, the survey 1983 were withheld because the devel- found that Letchworth Village failed opmental centers -- once subject to to meet 15 of the state's 95 health and serious overcrowding -- had failed to treatment standards governing the meet guidelines calling for reductions facility. It cited deficiencies that in client population. ranged from filthy conditions in dete- riorating buildings to a lack of recre- Now home to roughly 1,500 resi- ation programs for residents. dents, Letchworth Village housed nearly 2,600 in 1976. It is the state's During their tour of 45 Letchworth largest developmental center. residential and patient care buildings, state inspectors found: The April inspection could affect more recent Medicaid payments, *fire alarm boxes taped shut, mak- Saperstein said. ing them inoperable. HCFA officials completed their *feces-encrusted toilets. own inspection of Letchworth in March. That report is expected to be *lapses in medical records of resi- finalized in about two weeks. dents. Saperstein declined to discuss the findings, except to say that federal *dirty kitchens and cooking equip- inspectors found no life-threatening ment. conditions. *leaking pipes, broken and peeling The federal inspection is part of a walls and ceilings. program to verify the accuracy of state inspections, but Saperstein said *toilet and shower areas without it could result in a direct U.S. govern- doors or curtains. ment involvement in improving condi- tions at Letchworth. But a spokesman for the state's Office of Mental Retardation and De- Letchworth officials have com- velopement Disabilities, which operates pleted a plan to correct the deficien- Letchworth, said some deficiencies cies to the state health department. already have been corrected and plans According to that report, some repairs are under way to deal with the others. have been completed while others will be done during the remainder of the "We were aware of these deficien- year. cies before the inspection and these things are now being addressed under Health department officials, how- the state's new budget," said Louis ever, have said that the correction Ganim, a spokesman for that state plan has its own shortcomings and office. want more information on when cer- tain sanitary and repairs will be Ganim said Letchworth would get made, said William Fagel, a depart- money for repairs and for 63 new ment spokesman. employees under the 1984-85 budget. In addition, the health department The release of the survey follows wants further details on plans to hire close on the heels of a suit brought additional physical and occupational against the state and federal govern- therapists, Fagel said. ments earlier this month, which claims residents live in prison-like The state plans to monitor Letch- wards and receive poor treatment. worth with periodic inspections to The suit was brought by some parents assure compliance with the correction of Letchworth residents. timetable, Fagel said. The 66-page state health depart- ment report was supplied to The Journal-News by one of those parents, Noreen Koenig. ===============================================================================