State suspends license of long-term care home for children in Spokane

A local long-term care home for children with intensive medical needs closed on Monday after the state Department of Children, Youth and Families suspended its license.

Weeping Ridge North, which is located at 10226 N. Seminole Drive in northwest Spokane, has a state contract for medically fragile youth services that began Oct. 3, 2018, and is supposed to run through Sept. 30 of this year, according to a contracting list on the department’s website.

The home offered long-term care for children with complex injuries or medical conditions, Weeping Ridge’s website states, including specialized nursing services and therapy.

DCYF confirmed that Weeping Ridge North had its license suspended on Monday, and Debra Johnson, a department spokesperson, issued a statement about the matter.

“DCYF coordinated with other partner agencies and Washington Apple Health to relocate the children or youth to safe and appropriate placement options,” said the statement provided to The Spokesman-Review.

Johnson declined to respond to follow-up questions and said she could not comment any further because the department’s investigation is ongoing.

Inspection and incident reports for the facility are not readily available to the public.

Under Washington Administrative Code, the state may suspend a license for a wide variety of reasons.

If a facility’s employees do not meet background check requirements or are unable to manage the property and its financial responsibilities, the state can modify, suspend or revoke a license. If a care home’s employees are unable to provide for the health, safety and well-being of children or are found to be abusing or neglecting children in the facility’s care, the state can also suspend or revoke a license.

The state’s administrative rules allow care home administrators to request an administrative hearing if they do not agree with the decision within 28 days.

Reached by telephone, Weeping Ridge Administrator Israel Rodriguez declined to comment on the license suspension but did say he plans to request an administrative hearing,.

Israel and Penny Rodriguez are listed as the business owners of Weeping Ridge Home Health LLC, which has the same administrative address listed on the Weeping Ridge Homes website. Weeping Ridge also operates an adult care home in Othello called Weeping Ridge Estate.

In April, the Department of Social and Health Services added conditions to the adult care home’s license and issued it a $2,000 fine after completing an investigation into a fire at the facility, an enforcement letter shows.

“The adult family home provider failed to ensure staff were present in the home when a fire broke out in the kitchen. The deficient practice resulted in residents being left alone with no means to evacuate or summon help,” the April 3 enforcement letter said.

Weeping Ridge Estate had to hire a fire and safety consultant to train staff on fire safety and hazards as a part of the conditions put on its license. The Department of Social and Health Services lifted those conditions on the Weeping Ridge adult family home license on May 29.