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SCOPE to appeal revocation of license
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
SCOPE Inc. will appeal the Ohio Department of Aging decision that permanently revokes the agency’s license to serve as a long-term care provider for senior citizens.
Ralph Smith, SCOPE’s project manager, said at a news conference Tuesday that the revocation is a penalty too severe for the types of infractions found.
SCOPE received its copy of the decision Monday. The decision, from ODA Director Bonnie Kantor-Burman, was dated Friday.
Smith said the decision, if it stands, will prevent SCOPE from ever again receiving federal funds to provide senior citizens with services through Medicaid. SCOPE received about $470,000 in Medicaid funds in 2011.
The decision does not affect SCOPE’s ability to continue to operate its six senior citizen centers, Smith said. That funding comes from Trumbull County’s senior citizen levy — up to $431,575 this year.
Smith said SCOPE will appeal the ODA decision to Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.
“I don’t think the 50 years of service to the community was taken into consideration,” Smith said.
Smith speculated that violations would probably come to light during an investigation of nearly any nonprofit organization such as SCOPE.
In April, the state said it found that SCOPE had violated a number of Ohio laws and rules.
Among them were failures to conduct background checks for 22 employees and failure to conduct checks on 29 others within a specific time.
Smith noted that SCOPE was able to show the Ohio Department of Aging that the number of people who didn’t receive background checks was actually 14 instead of 22.
SCOPE also employed people who were not eligible because of their criminal record, the state said.
Smith said last week he didn’t know of any reason the license revocation would further reduce SCOPE’s service offerings or employment numbers, but said the revocation could be another factor that could run SCOPE out of business.