South-Carolina

Report ranks South Carolina worst in the nation in nursing home inspectors – Stateline

Published

6 months ago

December 22, 2023

Report ranks South Carolina worst in the nation in nursing home inspectors – Stateline

This story first appeared in the SC Daily Gazette.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — After a nurse at an Anderson nursing home noticed pain medication missing from the staff’s medical cart in February 2022, the nurse reported the missing narcotics. The state’s public health agency was called to investigate, but due to staffing shortages, it took state inspectors four months to respond, according to state records.

Meanwhile, at least three more complaints, including one instance where a patient was injured, stacked up against the Upstate home, Condor Health.

Statewide, there are about 190 nursing homes. The state agency tasked with regulating them has just one active inspection team that travels the state to check on them, though it’s close to activating a second. By federal law, each team of five must include a registered nurse, and that division of the state Department of Health and Environmental Control has just one nurse with the necessary credentials.

Even if it were fully staffed at one inspector for every 11 homes — the state-funded ratio a federal report relied on — it would still have the lowest ratio in the nation.

As a result, routine inspections required under federal law, as well as complaints requiring investigation, have piled up, according to the report published earlier this year by Democrats on the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging.

To fill holes, the state has increasingly relied on private contractors, a costly and potentially risky stopgap that opens up seniors and others in need of care to abuse and neglect, according to the report.

“It is a concern. But where are we going to get the people from?” state Sen. Katrina Shealy told the SC Daily Gazette.

The Lexington Republican has a history of standing up for vulnerable populations.

Still, even with help from contractors, backlogs remain. Federal law requires routine inspections for nursing homes every 16 months. As of Sept. 30, 2023, one-third of the Palmetto State’s 191 nursing homes went uninspected within the required time period, department spokesman said.

Backlog of complaints

When inspectors arrived at Condor Health in June 2022 to investigate the missing drugs, they also found evidence backing up three other complaints:

• A resident needed five staples in his head after falling in the facility’s dining room.

• Staff found a resident with dementia wandering the parking lot barefoot.

• A nurse found a resident — and possibly a nurse — drinking a beer even though alcohol is prohibited on the premises.

Altogether, state inspectors visited the Anderson nursing home 14 times between November 2020 and May 2023 for various complaints, though inspectors determined some were unfounded. It’s unclear whether all the complaints were filed immediately following the alleged incident, but in several cases, no one from the state investigated until months after the event.

Twice while inspectors were responding to complaints at Condor Health, they also conducted federally mandated certification reviews they had fallen behind on, state reports show.

A representative from the nursing home has not responded to a request from SC Daily Gazette for comment.

Under federal law, nursing homes must meet certain standards to continue receiving Medicare and Medicaid funding. States are responsible for inspecting facilities to make sure they qualify.

These routine reviews ensure residents are healthy, safe and not neglected. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, federal regulators have further tasked states with making sure nursing homes are keeping residents safe from infectious diseases.

Advocates say on-time inspections would likely prevent many of the issues that lead to complaints. Instead, states are playing catch-up after an incident happens. These lags open up residents to greater risk, the congressional report says.

At the same time, federal regulators have upped inspection requirements for nursing homes while federal funding to help pay for inspectors has remained stagnant for nearly four decades.

Shortage of inspectors

A lack of inspectors is a problem across the country. In all, 27 states said they were behind on inspections due to staffing shortages, according to the congressional report.

But South Carolina had the largest staffing gap by far.

The state’s budgeted ratio of one state-employed inspector for every 11.8 nursing homes was roughly double the rate of several states with a similar number of facilities.

Compare that to a ratio of one inspector per 5.9 homes in Mississippi, 5.7 in Nebraska and 3.1 in Connecticut. In the southeast, Alabama was at 4.5 nursing homes per inspector, Georgia was at 6.5 and North Carolina had 4.4.

“We were absolutely shocked to see how low we are (in the ranking), considering the fact that we are very much an age-friendly state that is very attractive to a retiree market,” said Charmaine Fuller Cooper, state director for the American Association of Retired Persons.

States are struggling to hire nursing home inspectors to conduct federally-mandated reviews, according to a congressional report published Friday, May 19, 2023. A map shows South Carolina as one of seven states with a large percentage of unfilled inspector jobs. Even if it were fully staffed, the state Department of Health and Environmental Control would still be last in the nation. Courtesy of the U.S. Senate Committee on Aging

The state has taken steps to improve since the congressional report was published in May.

As of last week, South Carolina had 17 inspectors on staff, up from 11, but still just one functional team. The public health agency is in the process of getting a second nurse trained with the required inspection certification. Four other state-funded inspection positions are vacant.

A state law passed in May will divide the state’s massive Department of Health and Environmental Control in two, with separate agencies for public health and environmental regulations. As the agency prepares to split, the health side will be seeking legislators’ permission to increase the number of nursing home inspectors to 30, a department spokesman said.

“South Carolina is in no way unique in facing the staffing and other challenges that our entire country face when it comes to inspections. These issues exist everywhere,” according to a statement from the agency. “Like other states, we do the best with what we have and bring every resource to bear possible. Our inspectors are the front lines of patient care in these nursing facilities, and they approach that responsibility with the reverence, dedication and commitment our loved ones deserve.”

Lucrative contracts

To get by, South Carolina and a growing number of other states have used private contracts to fill the gaps. But the report raised issues with these contract companies as well.

For one, they do not guarantee a set number of inspections. As more states use them, they too become overwhelmed. In its correspondence with national lawmakers, South Carolina noted one of the largest drawbacks to using contractors is having to wait for their availability.

That means states are getting less bang for their buck. The report claims private contracts cost states more money than doing the surveys themselves. And complaints can rack up while states wait for contract inspectors to become available.

This year, South Carolina’s public health agency signed three two-year contracts worth about $6 million with outside contractors. Teams of contractors completed about 7% of the state’s inspections between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, or about 100 random inspections and complaint investigations, a spokesman said.

And because only three main companies provide these specialized, high-demand services — Ascellon, CertiSurv and Healthcare Management Solutions — states have little power to negotiate how much they pay.

The cost of a survey is much less when performed by state employees, an agency spokesman said.

The starting pay for registered nurses employed by the agency ranges from $77,000 to $80,000 annually. Based on that pay scale and number of reviews conducted, the state can spend as little as $325 per inspection.

Also, because of the steep competition for specially certified nurses, these private contractors are luring workers away from the state, further compounding the problem.

There is already a great need for nurses nationwide. South Carolina has one of the most significant projected nursing shortages, resulting in the need for 10,400 more nurses to meet demand through 2030, according to a study by the University of South Carolina.

What’s next?

The congressional report isn’t the only document giving South Carolina low marks for nursing homes.

AARP also ranked South Carolina among the nation’s worst for long-term care support. Its report, released in September, takes into account the number of nursing homes in a state, as well as their affordability, quality, support for caregivers outside of facilities and how often people in facilities interact with those outside.

Fuller Cooper, the AARP’s state director, called on the legislature to take a closer look at ways to encourage more inspectors to apply, along with addressing issues plaguing the nursing homes themselves, such as staffing shortages.

“We need to make sure that there’s a sense of urgency from our elected officials,” Fuller Cooper said.

South Carolina state Sen. Tom Davis, a Republican who sits on the Senate Medical Affairs committee, believes restructuring of the state agency overseeing nursing homes will help.

Once lawmakers have a better idea of the agencies’ needs, they can start allocating money accordingly, the Beaufort Republican said. A consulting company is in the process of analyzing what the state will need to do as it splits its environmental and health agency in two.

“This report will just be something else that we have to look at and consider when we’re deciding how to appropriate a finite amount of dollars,” Davis said.

SC Daily Gazette is part of States Newsroom, a national nonprofit news organization.

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South-Carolina

Man, officer injured in N. Charleston officer-involved shooting, police confirm

Published

3 hours ago

June 29, 2024

Press Room

Man, officer injured in N. Charleston officer-involved shooting, police confirm

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is investigating a Friday night officer-involved shooting in North Charleston that sent a man and a police officer to an area hospital.

SLED spokesperson Renée Wunderlich confirmed her agency was on the scene investigating the situation.

North Charleston Police say the situation unfolded at approximately 8:05 p.m. when an officer responded to the 5000 block of Braddock Avenue where a suspicious person acting “in an erratic manner and making incoherent statements” had been reported. The officer found the man as he was attempting to enter a home on Alpha Street, police spokesman Harve Jacobs said.

The officer attempted to detain the man, who became more combative and during a struggle, the man managed to break free and force himself into the home, Jacobs said.

The homeowner confronted the man and Jacobs said shots were fired by both the homeowner and the police officer.

Both the officer and the man were taken to area hospitals for treatment.

Police say the man who broke into the home was injured in the shooting and that the North Charleston Police officer suffered injuries in the fight.

Investigators with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division are investigating an officer-involved shooting Friday night in North Charleston.(Live 5)

Police have not yet released the name of the man the officer was trying to detain or any charges he may face.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division was notified and assumed the investigation as per standard protocol when a police officer fires a weapon.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing.

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South-Carolina

How Will South Carolina Rebound After Landon Duckworth Decommitment

Published

10 hours ago

June 28, 2024

Press Room

How Will South Carolina Rebound After Landon Duckworth Decommitment

Unfortunate news came across the World Wide Web Tuesday night when ’26 quarterback Landon Duckworth decided to re-enter the recruiting scene.

In his tweet, which received 74k impressions and counting, Duckworth released a statement regarding the breaking news:

Nothing but Love for @Dowell_Loggains @CoachSBeamer @Rileyw_19 & the Gamecocks Staff & #GamecockNation for believing in me! #ToughDecision https://t.co/SgOVKPVlPd
— Landon “DUCK🦆” Duckworth (@LandonDuckworth) June 26, 2024

“Nothing but love for Dowell Loggains, Coach Beamer, Riley Watkins, the Gamecocks staff, and Gamecock Nation for believing in me!” This definitely hurts if you’re a Gamecock faithful; however, fans, this is just the new nature of the beast in recruiting. The days of seeing underclassmen stick with one team are few and far between. Welcome the days where most want to enjoy the recruitment process for at least three years before a concrete decision is made. For all we know, the Jackson, Alabama native may end up finding his way back to Columbia for a couple of OVs before signing his letter of intent. One thing’s for certain: Coach Beamer and the Gamecock coaching staff take building relationships seriously. They’re always on the go, visiting with priority and local recruits.

However, what’s the next move?

As the 2027 recruiting class begins to take shape, the Gamecocks have extended offers to three elite ’27 quarterbacks: dual-threat William Jackson, Champ Smith, and Trent Seaborn.

In the constantly ever-changing world of recruitment, William Jackson, an Orlando, Florida native, may be the most complete prospect of the quarterbacks as well as the tallest of the trio at 6-foot-4. He’s a dual-threat quarterback who has a skill for putting touch on the football. The right-hander plays with tremendous balance in the pocket, allowing him to move nimbly and drive the ball downfield. According to Prep Redzone, the unranked quarterback is said to be the real deal.

#AGTG I am extremely blessed and honored to have received a OFFER from SOUTH CAROLINA 🦃 #BTruQBTraining @Dowell_Loggains @baylintrujillo @JeffConawayTFA #BTruQBTraining pic.twitter.com/Sb12qADlZa
— William Jackson (@WillJacksonQB3) June 11, 2024

It’s been an active off-season for the central Florida native. In between workouts and spring and summer football obligations, he’s been present at this year’s UA Camp and Elite Camps. Jackson was offered by South Carolina on the 11th of June. He currently holds 21 offers.

Champ Smith, a Florida native, is another young quarterback getting reps early. He saw varsity reps in his eighth grade year, completing 59 percent of his passes for 1,273 yards with 18 TDs and 2 INTs. As a freshman (2024), he led Jupiter Christian to a 6-3 record in Florida’s independent Sunshine State division, throwing for 1,972 yards with 20 TDs and 7 INTs. Making the decision to up and move, Smith will be relocating to the 305 district, preparing to wear blue and red for Christopher Columbus. Brian Griese is the only alumni in Columbus high school history to earn an NFL roster spot. Standing at 6-foot-1, Smith has been ranked as the 11th best pro-style quarterback in ’27, per QB Hitlist; therefore, it’s no surprise to see he has multiple Power 5 offers, including South Carolina, who pulled the trigger on the first of June.

After a great camp and conversation with @Dowell_Loggains and @Rileyw_19 I am blessed to receive an offer to The University of South Carolina! Blessings from the Man upstairs!! Luke 12:48 #AGTG #Gamecocks | #ForeverToThee @CoachSBeamer @ToddHaynie @TheBigSpur247… pic.twitter.com/ybhtyNKcOC
— Champ Smith (@champsmithqb) June 1, 2024

Trent Seaborn may be the most intriguing quarterback prospect of the three. It was reported in The State that Seaborn is a Hawaii native and moved to Alabaster, AL at the Tagovailoa’s recommendation. Last year with Thompson, Seaborn led the Trojans to the 7A championship where they lost to the Central Phoenix; however, he still won the 7A championship player of the game and Maxpreps National Player of The Year Award. As a freshman, he passed for 2,601 yards, 27 TDs, and 6 INTs. Seaborn was the first to receive a South Carolina offer (May 22).

Trent Seaborn of Thompson (Ala.) named 2023 MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year.🔥
Ninth grader threw for over 2,500 yards and 27 touchdowns while leading team to state title game. 🏈
FULL STORY ⬇️https://t.co/gMEUmfeH7K pic.twitter.com/fbX8vKDiMv
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— MaxPreps (@MaxPreps) January 10, 2024

Ultimately, we won’t know the magnitude of Duckworth’s recent decommit until likely signing day. As we saw last year with Jalewis Solomon, if Coach Beamer and co. truly believe in a prospect and the relationship is there (which it definitely is), it’s very possible to un-flip the player.

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Highest-rated seafood restaurants in Charleston, South Carolina by diners

Published

17 hours ago

June 28, 2024

Press Room

Highest-rated seafood restaurants in Charleston, South Carolina by diners

Whether you’ve waited in line for soft-shell crabs in the Chesapeake Bay or savored sushi in New York City, you know there’s something special about finding the right spot to enjoy seafood. From ceviche to grilled salmon and towers of shellfish, the top-rated seafood restaurants in the United States serve up mouthwatering dishes across diverse cuisines like Japanese, Latin American, and Mediterranean to suit every palate.

Of course, certain areas of the country are known for particular delicacies. California’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean, for example, makes it one of the best states for seafood. The Los Angeles area serves up everything from caviar to Santa Barbara spot prawns while San Francisco is a mecca for fish tacos, ceviche, and sushi. Further north, Seattle is legendary for its shellfish, showcased at the famed fish counter at Pike Place Market.

While Chicago may be best known as a pizza capital, many flock to the city for its king crab dishes; a bit further south and east, you have Miami and its sought-after stone crab season. Southern locales like New Orleans boast fresh crawfish from the Gulf of Mexico and the two noncontiguous states have their own signature offerings, too: Alaska is known for its pollock and salmon, while Hawai’i is known for its poke.

Dining at a seafood restaurant can be one of the most memorable parts of your trip to a new city or offer comfort food in your own hometown. To celebrate the best options near you, Stacker used insights from Yelp to compile a list of the highest-rated seafood restaurants in Charleston.

Businesses were selected using Yelp’s ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only restaurants with at least 10 reviews were considered. In an effort to highlight independent restaurants and local chains, those with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included. Data is as of June 14, 2024.

Keep reading to discover your highest-rated local seafood restaurants for your next special meal out!

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#30. Fleet Landing Restaurant

– Rating: 4.2/5 (3266 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 186 Concord St. Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: seafood, american, southern
– Read more on Yelp

#29. Danny’s Philly Steaks

– Rating: 4.2/5 (30 reviews)
– Address: 320 East Bay St. Ste B Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: seafood, steakhouses, american
– Read more on Yelp

#28. & Lobster

– Rating: 4.2/5 (10 reviews)
– Address: Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: food trucks, seafood
– Read more on Yelp

#27. Oak Steakhouse

– Rating: 4.2/5 (443 reviews)
– Price level: $$$
– Address: 17 Broad St. Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: steakhouses, new american, seafood
– Read more on Yelp

#26. The Palmetto Cafe

– Rating: 4.2/5 (131 reviews)
– Price level: $$$
– Address: 205 Meeting St. Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: new american, seafood
– Read more on Yelp

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#25. Locklear’s on Little Oak

– Rating: 4.2/5 (103 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 2293 Folly Road Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: seafood
– Read more on Yelp

#24. Amen Street Fish & Raw Bar

– Rating: 4.2/5 (1365 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 205 East Bay St. Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: seafood, bars
– Read more on Yelp

#23. Rappahannock Oyster Bar – Charleston

– Rating: 4.2/5 (333 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 701 East Bay St. Ste 110 Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: seafood, bars, live/raw food
– Read more on Yelp

#22. High Cotton

– Rating: 4.3/5 (1165 reviews)
– Price level: $$$
– Address: 199 East Bay St. Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: cocktail bars, seafood, wine bars
– Read more on Yelp

#21. Revival

– Rating: 4.3/5 (246 reviews)
– Price level: $$$
– Address: 162 East Bay St. Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: southern, new american, seafood
– Read more on Yelp

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#20. Tempest Charleston

– Rating: 4.3/5 (323 reviews)
– Price level: $$$
– Address: 32 North Market St. Ste C Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: seafood
– Read more on Yelp

#19. The Mason Jar By Fatboys

– Rating: 4.3/5 (350 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 2487 Ashley River Road Ste 4 Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: seafood, comfort food, soul food
– Read more on Yelp

#18. Pearlz Oyster Bar

– Rating: 4.3/5 (402 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 9 Magnolia Road Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: seafood, bars
– Read more on Yelp

#17. Anson

– Rating: 4.3/5 (437 reviews)
– Price level: $$$
– Address: 12 Anson St. Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: seafood, southern, american
– Read more on Yelp

#16. The Ordinary

– Rating: 4.3/5 (783 reviews)
– Price level: $$$
– Address: 544 King St. Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: seafood, desserts, coffee & tea
– Read more on Yelp

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#15. The Immortal Lobster

– Rating: 4.3/5 (65 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: food trucks, seafood
– Read more on Yelp

#14. The Darling

– Rating: 4.4/5 (1424 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 513 King St. Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: seafood, cocktail bars, live/raw food
– Read more on Yelp

#13. Pearlz

– Rating: 4.4/5 (1386 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 153 East Bay St. Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: seafood, bars, live/raw food
– Read more on Yelp

#12. Co Hog

– Rating: 4.4/5 (13 reviews)
– Address: Charleston, SC
– Categories: seafood, food trucks
– Read more on Yelp

#11. Raw Lab By Empire Oyster

– Rating: 4.4/5 (31 reviews)
– Address: 99 South Market St. Port of Call Food Hall Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: live/raw food, seafood, wine bars
– Read more on Yelp

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#10. The Establishment

– Rating: 4.5/5 (205 reviews)
– Price level: $$$
– Address: 28 Broad St. Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: seafood, new american, cocktail bars
– Read more on Yelp

#9. Delaney Oyster House

– Rating: 4.5/5 (206 reviews)
– Price level: $$$
– Address: 115 Calhoun St. Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: seafood, beer bar, cocktail bars
– Read more on Yelp

#8. Dave’s Carry-Out

– Rating: 4.6/5 (214 reviews)
– Price level: $
– Address: 42 Morris St. Ste C Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: seafood, soul food
– Read more on Yelp

#7. CudaCo

– Rating: 4.6/5 (85 reviews)
– Address: 765 Folly Road Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: seafood markets, seafood
– Read more on Yelp

#6. Edison James Island

– Rating: 4.6/5 (276 reviews)
– Price level: $$$
– Address: 1014 Fort Johnson Road Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: seafood, new American, wine bars
– Read more on Yelp

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#5. Florence’s Lowcountry Kitchen

– Rating: 4.7/5 (26 reviews)
– Address: 1271 Folly Road Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: seafood, southern, cocktail bars
– Read more on Yelp

#4. Chubby Fish

– Rating: 4.7/5 (317 reviews)
– Address: 252 Coming St. Ste A Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: seafood, tapas/small plates
– Read more on Yelp

#3. 167 Raw Oyster Bar – Charleston

– Rating: 4.7/5 (2987 reviews)
– Price level: $$$
– Address: 193 King St. Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: seafood
– Read more on Yelp

#2. Halls Chophouse

– Rating: 4.7/5 (2899 reviews)
– Price level: $$$$
– Address: 434 King St. Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: steakhouses, seafood, bars
– Read more on Yelp

#1. Maine Line Seafood

– Rating: 4.8/5 (33 reviews)
– Address: Charleston, South Carolina
– Categories: food stands, seafood, american
– Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Zeynep Guler Tuck, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 282 metros.

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