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Massachusetts seeks to revoke licenses tied to 12 RegalCare nursing homes
The Department of Public Health is seeking to revoke licenses connected to RegalCare CEO Eli Mirlis after citing safety concerns, alleged licensing misrepresentations and a settlement over improper billing. The facilities will remain open during the process, with the state promising closer monitoring to protect residents and limit disruptions.
Massachusetts health officials are seeking to revoke the licenses for 12 RegalCare nursing homes, escalating oversight after concerns about care and safety at the facilities.
The Department of Public Health issued a notice of intent to revoke the licenses held by RegalCare CEO Eli Mirlis on Tuesday. The action follows a review that officials said included concerns about the quality of care, Mirlis’s licensing history and a recent settlement involving improper billing of MassHealth and Medicare.
Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein told the Public Health Council on Wednesday that the state had determined Mirlis was not suitable to operate long-term care facilities in Massachusetts. He said the action was intended to protect residents, not merely satisfy regulatory requirements.
The move comes after reporting on declining conditions at RegalCare homes and questions about how Mirlis was able to continue acquiring facilities. The reporting also raised concerns that he presented himself as a licensed nursing home administrator after New Jersey revoked his license and licenses in Connecticut and New York had lapsed.
The state’s action does not mean the homes will close immediately, Goldstein said, and families do not need to relocate residents as a result of the notice. DPH plans to increase site visits and monitor the facilities while the revocation process proceeds, with the stated goals of maintaining care and minimizing disruption.
The homes are in Whitinsville, Medford, Greenfield, Harwich, Holyoke, Lowell, Quincy, Sudbury, Wakefield, Worcester and Taunton. Medford has two facilities.
DPH conducted about 90 inspections of the 12 homes over the past three years and found four instances of “immediate jeopardy,” Goldstein said. The department has used restrictions on admissions, corrective actions and financial penalties, while MassHealth has also taken enforcement steps, he said. Goldstein said regulators must pursue stronger measures when enforcement does not produce lasting improvements.
Mirlis has 30 days to request a hearing to challenge the state’s action. The Public Health Council was also set to review regulations Wednesday that would require out-of-state issues to be considered in nursing home licensing decisions, a change tied to the state’s 2024 long-term care oversight law.