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How does a nursing home chain deemed unfit by the state continue to operate nursing homes? Our newsroom’s local news and culture show Take Two on Monday premiered an original audio documentary, "Immediate Jeopardy."
This story is part of 'Unprotected,' an ongoing series examining California's failures on nursing home oversight, done in collaboration with other nonprofit newsrooms
The radio special charts the rise of ReNew Health, a chain of nursing homes spanning California. Trouble existed at facilities connected to ReNew years before the coronavirus, and the onset of the global pandemic brought a wave of new problems.
Our investigative team found that owner Crystal Solorzano submitted allegedly fraudulent documents to the state, and posted misinformation about coronavirus vaccines on social media. We published our findings on LAist earlier this month:Immediate Jeopardy: Death And Neglect Inside A Troubled California Nursing Home Chain.
The radio special, hosted by Elly Yu, is followed by conversations with reporters from across the state who have documented the failures of oversight in nursing homes — including KPBS’ Amita Sharma and CalMatter’s Jocelyn Wiener. LAist is working with those public media outlets to examine California's failures on nursing home oversight.
The hour wraps up with an interview between Take Two’s A Martínez and Assemblymember Jim Wood (D-Santa Rosa), who helps control the fate of a bill that could reform nursing homes in California.
