An audit of of the State Health Department’s monitoring of nursing homes and handling of complaint investigations finds there is plenty of room for improvement. State Auditor Claire McCaskill says the Department has implemented 9 of 32 recommendations made in two previous audits. She says instead of the situation getting better, it has gotten worse. The Health Department’s David Durbin disagrees with the audit, saying the Department has implemented or is implementing 22 of the 39 recommendations made. And, as for the slow pace, it has to do with a shortage of personnel. The audit agrees with the manpower shortage claim, citing significant cuts in surveyor positions as contributors to some of the deficiencies. Durbin says the situation will improve with additional manpower funding contained in the budget for the 2007 Fiscal Year that began July 1st.
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Nursing Home Audit