Michigan Nursing Home Faces Attorney General Investigation in Patient Deaths
Two patients at Metron of Allegan in Michigan died from neglect after employees at the facility failed to administer oxygen to them. The date and details of the deaths are unknown at this time. The facility had an identical problem in 2005 when Sarah Comer died from asphyxiation at Metron of Big Rapids when her oxygen tank ran dry. Eight former employees are accused of covering up the death and manipulating the records to give the impression that Ms. Comer received adequate care. The Attorney General's Office filed a civil suit in the matter and criminal charges have placed the Metron facility into state oversight for two years.
In addition to the failure to provide oxygen, which led to the deaths, the facility is also accused of failure to prevent physical and sexual abuse between patients, failure to investigate a patient wandering from the facility, and failure to provide physician prescribed pain medication.
Metron facilities appear to have recurring problems. Metron closed a facility in Kalamazoo in 2006 due to "immediate jeopardy" citations. A Big Rapids Metron facility was found with 26 rule violations in 2004 and nearly lost federal funding, as well as the 2005 death of Sarah Comer, and now two more unnecessary deaths at Metron of Alegan.
A license revocation hearing is scheduled for October 9. Leaders from Metron met on September 24 with state regulators concerning a possible sale agreement.
