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page 1
(with Menorah House)," Ms. House took place during the sub-
Burstein says. "They just weren't sequent 2 1/2 months before the
Borman Hall relocation.
organized."
The transfer of Borman Hall
But now, Ms. Burstein, who
visits the home at least once a residents was premature, Mr.
day, describes it as "A-number- Conners stresses. He blames the
Michigan Department of Public
one."
Last year, Menorah House was Health as being too lenient.
In early November of last year,
purchased by Medilodge owner
Mr.
Conners addressed a letter to
Frank Wronski, who had agreed
with Federation to operate the fa- MDPH's licensing officer to rec-
cility as a Jewish home. Located ommend a ban on admissions to
on the west side of Greenfield the home until further improve-
Road just south of 11 Mile, the ments were made.
After receiving CBC's letter,
home had been called "Mount
Vernon" under the previous own- the state reviewed the situation
and enacted a modified ban lim-
ership of Isidor Eisenberg.
Mount Vernon, according to the iting admissions from Borman
Michigan Department of Public Hall to Menorah House to three
Health, had a poor track record. residents a week.
But shortly thereafter, Andrew
At the time of its sale to Mr.
Wronski's Medilodge, Dr. Richard Rothman, the attorney for
Yerian, chief medical consultant Menorah House, informed the
for the Michigan Bureau of MDPH that such a limit would in-
Health Systems, expressed hope terfere with a contract signed be-
that the facility would be cleaned tween Federation and Medilodge.
up and its plan of care would be Responding to Mr. Rothman's let-
ter, the state lifted the ban and
improved.
"We still think they're in the re- appointed a retired nursing-home
covery phase," he says. "We com- professional, Elmer Benson, to
pliment the renovations and monitor the facility and regular-
corrections that have been done ly report progress and setbacks.
and look forward to the continu-
ing improvements. People having
concerns should feel free to share
them with the Health Depart-
ment. We will monitor according
to what we feel we need to do."
The Michigan Department of
Public Health dropped all "level
A" code violations from its in-
spection report on Menorah sub-
— Dr. Richard Yerian
sequent to a survey in late
October. This was shortly after
Medilodge had assumed owner-
Mr. Benson looked after the fa-
ship and started renovations.
cility
until early January, when
Remaining were about 30 repeat
or new violations the state most Borman residents had made
the transition.
deemed of lesser gravity.
Last Friday, Feb. 24, a still very
There have been several struc-
displeased
CBC director, Mr.
tural changes to the home. The
main entrance of Menorah House Conners, wrote a letter to Walter
now faces away from, instead of Wheeler, chief of the Michigan
toward, Greenfield Road. There Bureau of Health Systems. The
is a new yahrtzeit memorial with letter questioned the efficacy of
the monitor.
204 electric candles.
"Residents and families we
In late January, Menorah
House opened its new 50-bed spoke to did not know that a mon-
Medicare unit for those requiring itor had been appointed and
skilled nursing and rehabilita- claimed that they had never met
or heard of Mr. Benson," the let-
tive services.
"We're hoping to accept all res- ter reads.
Owner Frank Wronski dis-
idents of any payer-type," Mr.
Wronski says. "We believe (the agrees with CBC's charges.
"We had prepared ourselves to
new Jewish facility) will surpass
accommodate as many of the
everyone's expectations."
But some remain concerned. Borman residents as possible as
Michael Conners, director of the early as possible," he says. "We
nursing-home watchdog group believe that we were expeditious
Citizens for Better Care, south- and thorough in our prepara-
east Michigan office, says tions."
A local attorney argues that a
Menorah House was ill-prepared
to admit Borman residents in fatal accident contradicts Mr.
Wronski's position.
November.
Jules Olsman is the Royal Oak
Mr. Conners says conditions in
the facility, under its former own- attorney representing Herbert
ership, had degenerated to a point Schwartz in his lawsuit against
at which a proper turnaround Medilodge.
Mr. Schwartz's father, Jack,
would have taken more time than
moved
from Borman Hall to
was allotted. Mr. Wronski pur-
chased Mount Vernon from Mr. Menorah House on the last day of
Eisenberg in September 1994, November. On Dec. 2, 1994, the
and the genesis of Menorah MENORAH HOUSE page 10
"People having
concerns should feel
free to share them
with the Health
Department."
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