ZANESVILLE, Ohio (Legal Newsline) — Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced Jan. 9 that Autumn Health Care of Zanesville Inc. will repay thousands of dollars it had obtained through allegedly fraudulent measures.
According to DeWine’s office, Autumn Health Care and owner Steven Hitchens habitually altered official documents to misrepresent the care given to residents. The company allegedly showed through records that it provided a high level of care but, actually, the company failed to give proper treatment to some individuals and gave unneeded therapy to others.
Autumn Health Care will pay $52,390.16 to the Ohio Department of Medicaid and $75,249.94 to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. The company also owes $40,000 in costs to the DeWine’s office. A court ordered Hitchens to serve three years of community control, as well as conduct 100 hours of community service.
In addition to Hitchens, a group of Autumn Health Care managers were involved in the lawsuit. They were Krysta Berkfield, corporate clinical nursing manager, Heidi Harper, Zanesville director of nursing, Danielle Greene, Zanesville unit manager, Andrew Hooks, Zanesville unit manager, Heidi Gard, Zanesville unit manager, Christina Tedrick, Zanesville unit manager, and Annette Sichina, corporate resident assessment nurse manager.