Labor Strikes May Occur At These 20 CT Nursing Homes: DPH

HARTFORD, CT – The Connecticut Department of Public Health announced Tuesday it is making preparations for potential strikes at 20 Connecticut nursing homes. Department officials said they have received official notices from each facility that a labor strike could begin as early as 6 a.m. on May 1.

According to a news release, the Connecticut Department of Public Health has two primary responsibilities related to labor actions at licensed nursing care facilities according to state and federal laws:

1. Review and approve credentials of all replacement workers the facilities wish to hire to offset loss of personnel due to the strike.
2. Conduct unannounced daily site visits to every nursing home experiencing a strike to ensure that quality standards for safety and patient care are being upheld during the strike.

As part of the inspection process, department inspectors will review staffing, observe patient care, review medical records and ensure adequate supplies are available.

"We at the Department of Public Health are hoping that both labor and management at these nursing homes can come to agreement so a strike can be avoided, but if a strike occurs, we will be ready to do our duty in accordance with state and federal law," Connecticut Public Health Commissioner Renée D. Coleman-Mitchell said in a release.

"We are currently reviewing credentials of replacement workers and we are preparing to conduct health and safety inspections at these nursing care facilities should a strike commence on May 1. These preparations include creating a pool of facility inspectors from within DPH to conduct as many on-site monitoring inspections as needed at any time of day during a strike. We want to reassure families of patients who might be impacted that we will be vigilant and do what is necessary to make sure your loved ones are receiving proper care for the duration of this labor action," Coleman-Mitchell concludes.

According to the state Department of Public Health, the following nursing homes have given them a strike notice:

• Advanced Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation - New Haven
• Autumn Lake Healthcare at Bucks Hill - Waterbury
• Autumn Lake Healthcare at Cromwell - Cromwell
• Autumn Lake Healthcare at New Britain - New Britain
• Autumn Lake Healthcare at Norwalk - Norwalk
• Bloomfield Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation - Bloomfield
• Chelsea Place Care Center, LLC - Hartford
• Fresh River Healthcare - East Windsor
• Maple View Health & Rehabilitation Center - Rocky Hill
• Orange Health Care Center - Orange
• Silver Springs Care Center - Meriden
• Three Rivers - Norwich
• Touchpoints at Bloomfield - Bloomfield
• Touchpoints at Chestnut - East Windsor
• Touchpoints at Farmington - Farmington
• Touchpoints at Manchester - Manchester
• Trinity Hill Care Center - Hartford
• West Hartford Health & Rehabilitation Center - West Hartford
• Westside Care Center, LLC - Manchester
• Windsor Health and Rehabilitation Center, LLC - Windsor

Pursuant to Connecticut law, nursing care facilities are required to submit strike contingency plans to DPH at least five days prior to the beginning of a strike. DPH has responsibility to review those plans to determine if facilities have made adequate arrangements to continue providing patients with uninterrupted services during any strike action. The department has the statutory authority to take emergency action against non-compliant providers.

Depending on the severity of the violation, DPH can impose sanctions up to and including: prohibiting nursing homes from admitting new patients, limiting the license of a nursing home in any aspect, such as reducing licensed capacity, or ordering the emergency transfer of patients from a nursing home to another nursing home or hospital.

In extreme cases the department can petition a Superior Court judge to appoint a receiver to oversee all operations at a particular facility if conditions are found to jeopardize the health, safety and welfare of patients.

The department has been informed the potential strike on May 1 could impact nearly 3,000 nursing home patients in facilities throughout Connecticut.

Members of the public who have questions or concerns about care provided in a nursing home or who want more information about the department’s monitoring activities can call the Department’s Facility Licensing Division at 860-509-7400 or send an email to DPH.strike.info@ct.gov.