Florida Nursing Home Ordered To Close After 8 Deaths, Victims ID'd: Updated

HOLLYWOOD, FL — Florida's agency that oversees nursing homes in the state has ordered Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills to close after eight of its residents died, likely due to heat.

More than 100 residents were evacuated Wednesday morning from the nursing home, which had no power or air conditioning, officials said. Five women and three men ranging in age from 70 to 99 died. The nursing home is on the 1200 block of North 35th Avenue.

On Friday, the Florida Department of Health said the nursing home should have evacuated its patients as soon as it lost power.

"It is 100 percent the responsibility of health care professionals to preserve life by acting in the best interest of the health and well-being of their patients," the agency said. "Let's be clear – this facility is located across the street from one of Florida's largest hospitals, which never lost power and had fully operating facilities. The tragic and senseless loss at Hollywood Hills Rehabilitation Center is the subject of a criminal homicide investigation by law enforcement."

The state Agency for Health Care Administration on Wednesday afternoon said in a release that Gov. Rick Scott ordered the agency to issue an emergency moratorium against the nursing home. All patients have been evacuated, the state said. (For more information on the nursing home deaths and other Aventura stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

The moratorium "immediately prevents this facility from admitting any patients until it is lifted, and it is necessary to protect the lives and the safety of frail elders," the agency said.

Watch: Search Warrant Issued After Nursing Home Deaths

The state's moratorium said the nursing home knew its air conditioning system had kicked out on Tuesday. The facility placed eight portable air coolers throughout the facility and placed fans in the hallways. Three days later, several residents began to experience respiratory or cardiac distress, and eight of them eventually died, the moratorium said.

The Miami Herald reported the Broward Medical Examiner’s office released the victim's identities Wednesday afternoon: Carolyn Eatherly, 78; Miguel Antonio Franco, 92; Estella Hendricks, 71; Betty Hibbard, 84; Manuel Mario Mendieta, 96; Gail Nova, 71; Bobby Owens, 84; and Albertina Vega, 99.

Patch has reached out to the office for confirmation.

Hollywood spokeswoman Raelin Storey said one patient died Tuesday at the facility and was taken away by a funeral home.

She also said they're looking "into the staffing of the facility and how it was staffed. That is part of the investigation and I know that that is also part of the state's investigation."

Hollywood officials said the total number of residents evacuated was 145. Of those, 141 were residents at the rehabilitation center of Hollywood Hills. Thirty-nine were admitted to various Memorial facilities. The Memorial Healthcare System has a number of hospitals in the South Broward County area. The remaining patients have been transferred to Cleveland Clinic, Aventura Hospital and Broward Health.

Hollywood police obtained a search warrant for the property and officers were at the scene continuing their criminal investigation, a city spokeswoman said Thursday morning. Police are working with relatives of the evacuated patients to retrieve their personal belongings.

Residents were initially evacuated to the second floor of the building but later evacuated out of the building altogether.

The state said the nursing home's practices put the health, safety and welfare of its residents — many of whom are already suffering from disease, disability or are vulnerable in some other way — at risk.

Scott said in a statement that he was "absolutely heartbroken" upon learning of the deaths and said he would "aggressively demand answers on how this tragic event took place." He ordered the Agency for Health Care Administration and the Department of Children and Families to work with law enforcement agencies to investigate.

Scott said 10 hospitals in the state were closed and were working with the state to reopen. More than 90 special needs shelters were opened to help patients in need. There are currently 61 open.

Scott said he and other state officials have had daily calls with hospitals, nursing homes and assisted-living facilities since Sept. 5 to make sure they had everything they needed to keep patients safe.

"Department of Health officials have been in contact with Larkin Community Hospital Behavioral Health Services management and the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills over the past three days. Hospital administrators were advised to call 911 if they had any reason to believe that the health or safety of patients was at risk. Yesterday afternoon, the facility reported to the AHCA that they had power and access to fans and spot coolers provided by Memorial Healthcare," Scott said.

All nursing home facilities must have an emergency management plan. Scott said state officials confirmed the nursing home's plan was submitted to county emergency management officials.

The home said in a statement that the hurricane had knocked out a transformer that powered the AC. Broward County said the home alerted officials Tuesday that it had lost power and they asked if the home had any medical needs or emergencies. The home did not seek help, the county said.

A Florida Power & Light official said the facility was not named as a priority facility by the county ahead of Hurricane Irma.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo credit: Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP