Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Dvorak: State came in ‘guns a-blazing’
COLFAX – The owner of an assisted-living facility shuttered July 24 by the state is refuting allegations used to justify the closure
Paul’s Place owner Cynthia Dvorak, 56, of Colfax, said she and her staff were addressing issues when the state Department of Social and Health Service’s Residential Care division came in “guns a-blazing” and shut down the home at the 907 S. Mill St.
Social and Human Services spokeswoman Jessica Nelson said Aug. 4 the shutdown followed 10 complaints that included allegations of criminal sexual abuse, financial exploitation and drug use, with staff providing residents the contraband. Nelson said the complaints also voiced concern over residents’ safety, sanitary conditions and a bed bug outbreak.
“I can’t believe that,” Dvorak said. “I’m not a criminal.”
She disavowed any knowledge of criminal activities in the assisted-living center, but acknowledged Paul’s Place had a bed bug outbreak.
“Yes, we had bed bugs. And yes, we were working to get rid of them,” she said Tuesday, Aug. 15. “I just didn’t realize the extent.”
Dvorak said she had reached out to local pest control businesses to address the issue prior to the state action, which resulted in relocating 24 residents.
She also acknowledged keeping an assisted-living center with special needs residents safe and sanitary is a challenge, but added that she had submitted a mitigation plan to the agency the week before Residential Services ordered the closure.
“I’ve always put my residents first,” Dvorak said Tuesday, Aug. 15. “I’ve always believed it should be about the residents.”
According to Dvorak, she had spoken with Residential Services officials multiple times on improving the conditions at Paul’s Place.
“I faxed them a safety plan,” she said, adding that the state agreed to work with her on resolutions to issues.
That was done the week before the state-ordered shutdown, she said.
“But then they came in Monday and started taking my residents out, and shut me down,” she said. “I think they planned it all along.”
The state alleged it had received complaints about more than just bed bugs and cleanliness.
Nelson said at least one complaint alleged Dvorak asked residents to fraudulently obtain food from the Food Bank. That food was then used by the assisted-living center, rather than the resident who picked it up.
Those complaints have been shared with local police.
Complaints also alleged the owner didn’t follow state guidelines on hiring staff and maintaining the facility, Nelson said. Among those complaints were allegations of the hiring of non-credentialed workers and a failure to complete fingerprint background checks.
In some cases where employees failed background checks and were disqualified from working in an assisted-living facility, the owner still hired them, Nelson said.
That’s not accurate, according to Dvorak.
“I expect a higher standard from my staff,” she said. “I expect them to be good people.”
As far as complaints about illegal activity in the building, Dvorak said she was unaware of any.
“If I don’t know about it, I can’t address it,” she said.
Dvorak said she plans to challenge the state’s action and plans to appeal to an administrative law judge, or possibly an elected Whitman County Superior Court judge, if necessary.
Dvorak said on the advice of an attorney, she couldn’t get into the specifics of some of the issues.
The state has yet to identify the complainants that resulted in the shutdown.
Nelson cited Revised Code of Washington 74.39A.060(6), which allowed the agency to withhold the identity of a complainant, if a complaint is made by a resident of the assisted-living facility or a by an informant concerned about retaliation against a resident.
Dvorak has owned Paul’s Place approximately 10 years, she said, noting she purchased it after six years gaining experience in the industry by working at Whitman Health and Rehab. In purchasing Paul’s Place, she also moved into the building, she said, noting she also owns a home in Las Vegas, Nev.
The Residential Care division provides licensing and oversight of assisted-living care centers in the state.
Paul’s Place is licensed for 60 residents, but only 24 were living there when it was shuttered.
Many of those 24 residents are already asking to return home, Dvorak said.
“My residents live there because they want to live there,” she said. “They want to come home; they were ripped out (by the state).
“They (state officials) always come in guns a-blazing. They’re not there to help you.”
Roger Harnack is the owner/publisher of Free Press Publishing. Having grown up Benton City, Roger is an award-winning journalist, photographer, editor and publisher. He's one of only two editorial/commentary writers from Washington state to ever receive the international Golden Quill. Roger is dedicated to the preservation of local media, and the voice it retains for Eastern Washington.
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