On July 8, 2016, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) sent five separate letters to Brius owner, Shlomo Rechnitz, announcing its decision to reject his application to operate five different nursing homes (see below). The CDPH cited Rechnitz’ inability to comply with the rules and regulations governing the skilled nursing industry in California.
This marks the sixth time that Rechnitz has been denied an application by the CDPH. Back in September 2014, his application to operate Riverside Point Healthcare & Wellness Centre (Chico, CA) was denied for similar reasons: a lack of evidence of his ability to comply with the rules and regulations within the state’s skilled nursing industry as set forth by the CDPH.
Since 2006, Rechnitz and/or his Brius corporation have acquired as many as 81 nursing homes across California. His rapid ascension to become the largest owner of nursing homes in California has revealed troubling accounts of his facilities becoming the target of criminal investigations (local, state, and federal), lawsuits, and stiff regulatory fines. Speaking with CBS in Los Angeles Pat McGinnis, Executive Director of California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, said that “under [Brius], we’ve had more closures and more decertifications in such a short period of time than any time that I can think of in the last 30 years.”
It seems like the CDPH will continue to deny applications from Rechnitz until he can provide evidence he can operate nursing homes under established standards of care.
- 2016-07-08: CDPH notice of denial of application to operate Brookdale Healthcare and Wellness Centre.