Metro
Care Concerns
Two communal sites ranked low by Medicare.
Alan Hitsky
Associate Editor
T
wo senior nursing facilities with
loose ties to the Jewish commu-
nity have received low rankings
for overall care on the U.S. government's
website, Medicare.gov.
The Marvin and Betty Danto Family
Health Care Center in West Bloomfield
earned two out of five stars, based on
information it supplied to Medicare.
Menorah House - Medilodge of
Southfield earned one star, the lowest
rank.
The Danto facility, on the Applebaum
Jewish Community Campus at Maple
and Drake roads, was prevented for
a time this spring from admitting
Medicare and Medicaid patients. The
rehabilitation facility is one of the more
expensive senior facilities in Michigan.
James McCurtis, public information
officer for the Michigan Department
of Community Health,
confirmed that the
state halted Medicare
and Medicaid admis-
sions because of two
complaints. He would
not provide information
about them, but said
Danto "came back into
compliance" on May 4.
Danto's parent com-
pany, HRC ManorCare in
Toledo, issued a written
statement through Julie
Beckert, director of marketing com mu-
nications:
"At Danto Health Care Center, we
take the survey process very seriously
and work closely with state officials to
address any areas of concern identified
in their survey. It is our
intent to comply fully
with applicable regula-
tions.
"Earlier this year, the
center addressed an
isolated incident and
these issues have been
addressed in a Plan of
Correction. Upon revisit
by the Department of
Community Health, the
center was found in sub-
stantial compliance. We
have internal measures in place such as
staff in-servicing to continually review
Danto had two
out of five stars.
Menorah House
had one star.
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and improve the quality of care pro-
vided to our patients.
"Quality care is of paramount concern
at Danto Health Care Center, and the
staff works hard to ensure its delivery to
patients."
The government website gave Danto
four stars out of five on health inspec-
tions, one star on staffing and one star
on quality measures. The overall rank-
ing was two stars.
Beckert's statement went on to say,
"The center, opened in 1996, is located
on the campus of the Jewish Federation
and is operated by HCR ManorCare. The
administrative team works closely with
the Federation and the other health care
providers on the campus to provide a
continuum of care designed with the
Jewish resident in mind."
Linda Blumberg, the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit's
director of planning and agency rela-
tions, said there is no formal rela-
tionship with Danto or Menorah
House. Through Jewish Senior Life of
Metropolitan Detroit, the two facilities
receive Jewish programming, Jewish
chaplaincy services and some volun-
teers.
While Danto remains kosher, Menorah
House dropped its kosher kitchen sev-
eral years ago.
"We are long past a contractural rela-
tionship with Danto," Blumberg said.
HCR ManorCare has a long-term lease
for the property, but Federation "has
never had an operational relationship
with them:' Blumberg said.
The relationships with Menorah
House and Danto were created, along
with the JSL-sponsored Fleischman
Residence in West Bloomfield, to replace
Borman Hall Jewish Home for Aged in
Detroit.
In the late 1980s and early '90s,
Federation spent millions subsidiz-
ing Borman Hall beyond its Annual
Campaign allocation because of the
high cost of care and fluctuating
Medicare and Medicaid payments from
the state.
Jewish Senior Life, an outgrowth of
the Jewish Home for Aged and Jewish
Apartments & Services, was an effort to
lower costs and improve services for all
older adults in the Jewish community.
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