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Gino Merli Veterans’ Center Out of Jeopardy

SCRANTON — The Gino J. Merli Veterans’ Center in Scranton has its full operating license back. The center had been operating under a provisional lic...
gino merli

SCRANTON -- The Gino J. Merli Veterans' Center in Scranton has its full operating license back.

The center had been operating under a provisional license for nearly two years because of patient care and staffing violations.

A state inspection last month showed patient care and staffing at the center improved so much, that the facility no longer operates on a provisional license.

But for the past six months, this facility had the lowest license rating of any nursing home in Pennsylvania.

In November, a Newswatch 16 investigation into health inspections at the Gino Merli Veterans' Center in Scranton found the facility:

  • failed to take all safety measures to prevent falls,
  • failed to provide reason for increasing medication,
  • failed to maintain accurate medical records.

The center's 47 violations in 15 months were more than Pennsylvania's five other veterans homes combined.

But the veterans' home now no longer operates under a cloud. It displays the new regular license near its front entrance.

"It was a lot of hard work," said Vito Ruggiero, GMVC Commandant. "Gino Merli's been through a lot of trials and tribulations over the last 24 months. To finally come full circle and get that regular license back is rewarding."

Ruggiero says the veterans cared for here and their families also benefit.

The regular license shows the level of care is improved and the threat of sanctions is gone.

"We've developed a lot of audits and tools that we use on a daily basis.  And that will be ongoing so we don't fall back on the same situation like they've had in the past."

The recent inspection by the state health department was critical because if it showed continuing problems. The facility faced fines, a ban on new patients, potentially, it could have even been shut down.

Instead, the inspection gave this veteran's home its first clean bill of health in almost two years.

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