The New Jersey Nursing Center, where 11 children died after an adenovirus outbreak, has been imposed with a $600,000 federal fine.
According to the NorthJersey.com report, the heavy fine has been imposed after state and federal inspections at the New Jersey’s Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation.
Health officials say the facility’s lapses and negligence in infection control and hand washing had put more than 50 ventilator-dependent children and approximately 150 patients at risk last fall.
A federal report that was issued last well stated, “Deficiencies in leadership contributed to the delay in identification and containment of (the) adenovirus outbreak, affecting 33 residents (and) one staff, and resulted in 11 pediatric resident deaths.”
Rowena Bautista, the Center’s Administrator, said, “The report by regional offices of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is riddled with factual inaccuracies and blatant misstatements. The center has appealed the findings and will ‘vigorously dispute’ the allegations.”
Since November 12, no new cases of the adenovirus have been diagnosed. However, the state still prevents new admissions to the center’s pediatric ventilator unit.
Usually, adenovirus does not pose a greater threat to healthy people. It may cause cold or flu-like symptoms, while some strains of the virus case pinkeye and diarrhea. The adenovirus strain that was found in the Wanaque Rehabilitation Center was of type 7, which is among the most potent types. Such type of adenovirus can sometimes cause serious respiratory illness, especially immunocompromised patients or people with weak immune systems.
