Future uncertain for Menlo nursing home Future uncertain for Menlo nursing home (February 04, 2004)

** County supervisors oppose new operator.

By David Boyce

Almanac Staff Writer

Uncertainty hovers over the future of 150 employees of the Menlo Park Place nursing home on Crane Street as the owner of the property seeks to transfer the facility's lease to another operator.

In a strongly worded statement of disapproval, the five-member San Mateo County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 on January 27 -- with Supervisor Mike Nevin absent -- to urge the state Department of Health to deny an operating license to Prema and Antony Thekkek. The couple have applied to take over operation of the Menlo Park Place Health Care Center at 1275 Crane St., said Norma Arceo a spokeswoman for the health department.

The resolution, authored by board President Mark Church and Supervisor Nevin, asks the state to find another operator or, failing that, to grant the Thekkeks a temporary license and conduct "rigorous oversight" over the operation.

The resolution, based on information provided by the healthcare workers Local 250 of the Service Employees International Union, charges the couple with poor performance at other Northern California nursing homes they operate, alleging scores of health-care law violations, two citations for contributing to resident deaths, fines, violation of federal labor law, sharp reductions in employee benefits and high employee turnover rates.

The Thekkeks did not respond to the Almanac's interview requests. In a San Jose Mercury News story, Prema Thekkek said she has been unfairly targeted by the health care workers union, that she has not reduced patient care in facilities she operates, and that troubled facilities take time to improve.

"We do take every complaint seriously," health department spokeswoman Norma Arceo told the Almanac, but added that the supervisors' resolution, unprecedented in her experience, "will not play a major role in our decision."

In its investigation of an applicant, the health department's team of doctors and nurses look for a criminal record or a history of complaints about quality of care, Ms. Arceo said. Employee issues such as reduced health benefits or high turnover rates are not relevant, she said.

Since the department investigates only the applicant put forward by the property owner, consideration of other possible operators is out of the question, Ms. Arceo said.

San Mateo County took over a nursing home in Burlingame after the state could find no operator, said Supervisor Rich Gordon. "We wouldn't want to see another such situation," he said. "It has made us cautious."
Menlo Park Place

Menlo Park Place Health Care Center employs about 150 non-union staff to care for about 130 patients, most from within a 7-mile radius of the facility, administrator Jeff Maggard told the Almanac. The three-story building is located on Crane Street, between Oak Grove and Valparaiso avenues.

Employees will be laid off and invited to reapply, Mr. Maggard said, noting that he has already negotiated his continued employment there. Employee seniority would be one casualty of reapplying, he said, adding that employees' health benefits may also change.

"Generally, a new company is not going to give all the benefits that are usually there [already]," Mr. Maggard said. "Changes are somewhat inevitable."

The current operator, Atlanta-based Mariner Health Care, failed in its attempt over the last several months to renegotiate the terms of the lease, said Mariner spokeswoman Melody Chatelle.

Mariner -- which emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August 2003 -- operated the facility for many years, Ms. Chatelle said, adding that the renegotiation was not related to company's financial condition.

Nursing home records are available for public examination at district offices of the state Department of Health, Ms. Arceo said. The local district office is located at 350 90th St., 2nd floor in Daly City. For more information, call 301-9971.
Pro and con

The state health department should "look very closely at the operator ... to see whether these folks should and are qualified to operate this facility," Supervisor Gordon told the Almanac. "Our action is out of concern for a dependent group of folk who are our constituents."

At the Board of Supervisors' meeting, staff from the Thekkek-operated Gateway Care & Rehabilitation Center in Hayward spoke in support of the couple, who have operated the non-union facility since August. said Shirley Marshall, the social services director. "Residential care was not affected by the takeover," she said.

"When Prema took over, we didn't see any change," said Julie Mammadova, Gateway's business office manager.

Members of Local 250 also in attendance begged to differ. In a statement, the union slammed the Thekkeks' existing operations for a "troubling track record of patient care violations and their history of acquiring facilities and immediately cutting costs."

At a Thekkek-operated facility in Manteca, several employees active in the union were fired the day before the facility reopened under new management, said Local 250 spokeswoman Kathleen Miller.

Among the employees let go were three certified nursing assistants, Sephia Nava, Crystal Wroten and Rose Smith, each with more than 16 years experience at the facility, Ms. Miller said.

"She fired us before taking over," said Ms. Wroten at the meeting. "A week after we were let go, she replaced every single one of us."

In the Mercury News story, Ms. Thekkek said her company cannot afford the same benefits as large corporations.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.