In a followup to an earlier blog item about the heavy spending and pervasive influence of the nursing home lobby at the Arkansas legislature, a correspondent reports:

Consumer Reports’ annual best and worst nursing home list by state is now at consumerreports.org/nursinghomes. Click on Arkansas on the map. They explain at length the staffing levels and various quality indicators from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services  that they used to compile the list.

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Of the eight Arkansas facilities recommended for consideration, most appear to be skilled nursing facilities in hospitals, which provide rehabilitation rather than long-term care. The list recommends Marion County Nursing Home at Yellville, it’s third year on the list, and Jefferson Regional Medical Center at Pine Bluff, in its second year. New on the list are the Medical Center of South Arkansas at El Dorado, North Arkansas Medical Center at Harrison, Prescott Manor Nursing Center, Rivercrest Healthcare Inc. at College Station, Saline Memorial Hospital at Benton and St. Edward Mercy Medical Center at Fort Smith. Only the College Station, Prescott and El Dorado facilities are listed as for-profit operations.

All five facilities that the magazine suggests avoiding are for-profits.  They are Beverly Healthcare at Heber Springs, Bryant Healthcare Center, Jonesboro Healthcare Center, Longmeadow Nursing Center at Malvern and Wynn Healthcare Center. The Bryant, Jonesboro,and Malvern faiclities are on the “avoid” list for a second year.

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