One year after an inspection by the Office of Healthcare Quality, an independent administrative law judge has overturned all violations found against Maryland assisted living and skilled nursing operator Sagepoint Senior Living Services. The decision helps repair the operator’s reputation and saves the firm $440,000 in civil money penalties, the firm reported Wednesday.
Sagepoint was cited under the Maryland Department of Health and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for regulatory deficiencies in infection control standards as issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Initial OHCQ reports were filed amid the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over the course of the four-day investigation, which included testimonies by experts and witnesses, the judge found no violations in infection control practices during the COVID-19 outbreak, thus reversing the citations and accompanying fines.
“We are grateful to have had the opportunity to have our story heard independently,” said Andrea Dwyer, Sagepoint president and CEO. During the hearing, Sagepoint presented records of their early COVID-19 response, which consisted of advanced precautionary measures, many not universally standard at that time, including testing of asymptomatic residents.
“Much more is understood about this virus now than a year ago,” Dwyer said. “But from the very start we worked in the best interest of our residents to secure critical resources as quickly as possible.”
