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TALLAHASSEE, FL – Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced that he has increased the number of deployed teams of sworn law enforcement to a total of seven Florida counties to check on residents of the state’s nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other care facilities. An additional 10 investigators will be sent out to Brevard, Martin, St. Lucie and Volusia counties to assess the needs of residents in a total of 451 facilities in those counties. At least 20 Medicaid Fraud Control investigators were deployed this morning to check more than 200 facilities in Monroe, Collier and Lee counties to ensure the safety and well-being of Medicaid recipients housed in those facilities.

The investigators will assess the physical site to determine whether it is habitable and will report any safety issues to the Agency for Health Care Administration and the Department of Children and Families. These teams will meet with local Emergency Operations Center officials to obtain information about direct damage locations and will then respond to the facilities to ensure the safety of the residents and the habitability of the facility. Investigators can check for a variety of concerns, including an inability to keep medications properly refrigerated or non-functioning medical devices because of a lack of electricity. The investigators also have the ability to initiate any on-site enforcement for criminal violations by care providers or facility employees.

The Volusia County team will first respond to the Daytona Beach Hilton to assess the safety and transportation needs of approximately 135 disabled persons who have been sheltered there after attending a conference. The team is coordinating with local and state agencies to provide and rapid assistance.

The types of facilities which will be checked include group homes, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities and adult family care homes. The investigators will deploy from the Attorney General’s offices in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa and Ft. Myers for these initial checks. The Attorney General will continue to monitor the progress of the storm and will determine whether additional deployments are necessary once safety and damage concerns are identified.