AG James today announced significant reforms and financial penalties for Van Duyn Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing, a nursing home in Syracuse, and its owners and operators, Efraim Steif and Uri Koenig. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) revealed that Steif and Koenig received millions of dollars of taxpayer funds meant for resident care, leaving the nursing home severely understaffed. Residents suffered in unsafe conditions, leading to hospitalizations, deaths, and significant trauma. As a result of OAG’s investigation, Van Duyn and its owners will pay a total of $12 million, including $10 million to directly fund improved resident care and staffing. The OAG will also install an Independent Health Care Monitor (IHM) and an Independent Financial Monitor (IFM) to oversee and improve the nursing home’s health and financial operations. This is the fourth case in which OAG has secured major reforms at nursing homes in New York after investigating resident neglect and abuse. 

“For years, residents at Van Duyn endured unacceptable neglect that caused traumatic injuries and tragic deaths. We are holding Van Duyn’s owners accountable for these conditions, and ensuring the facility will make all the necessary changes so that its residents get the care they deserve. I will always fight for the dignity and rights of vulnerable New Yorkers and I will continue to go after nursing homes and their owners when they fail to take care of their residents.” – AG James