Nursing Home Operator's Lawsuits Pile Up: 3 Retaliation, 10 Wrongful Death Claims

One of Iowa's largest nursing home operators, Care Initiatives of West Des Moines, is confronting its third whistleblower retaliation lawsuit within the past year. Tina Weber, a registered nurse from Clemens, alleges that during her tenure from May 2021 to October 2024 at a Care Initiatives facility in Marshall County, she faced retaliatory actions after reporting concerns about patient care.​

This lawsuit adds to a series of legal challenges for Care Initiatives, which operates 44 care facilities across Iowa. In the past 18 months, the company has been named in at least 10 wrongful death lawsuits, including four against Northcrest Specialty Care in Waterloo. These lawsuits allege negligence and inadequate care leading to patient harm or death. 

About Weber’s Lawsuit

Key Allegations:

• On Oct. 5, 2024, Tina Weber, an RN, witnessed a human resources worker grab the handles of a resident’s wheelchair, causing the resident to fall.
• The resident, who has schizophrenia, was trying to leave during an argument with the HR worker.
• Weber reported the incident to the assistant director of nursing and documented it in the resident’s chart.

Alleged Attempts to Change Weber’s Account:

• The next day, the director of nursing texted Weber, requesting her to change the chart:
  “Could you strike out original note… say she was assisting with the wheelchair and he put himself on the ground?”
• Weber responded:
  “So not the truth?”
• On Oct. 11, 2024, an administrator allegedly asked her again to alter her report.
• A corporate employee later instructed her to modify the chart so it wouldn’t indicate a staff-involved altercation.
• Weber refused both requests and reported the incident to state regulators.

Retaliation & Firing:

• On Oct. 16, 2024, a state inspector visited the nursing home to investigate.
• The next day, Care Initiatives fired Weber.
• The lawsuit claims Weber was fired for reporting concerns about resident safety.

Legal Action:

• Weber’s lawsuit seeks unspecified actual and punitive damages for wrongful termination.
• Care Initiatives has not yet responded to the lawsuit or media inquiries.

Other Whistleblower Retaliation Lawsuits

​Care Initiatives is facing three whistleblower retaliation lawsuits filed within the past year. Below is a summary of each case:​

Kandus Jellison v. Care Initiatives (Filed 2022)

• Jellison, a former worker at Oakwood Specialty Care in Albia, alleges she was fired in June 2022 after intervening on behalf of a resident who was denied hospital care and helping the man call 911.
• She sued under Iowa law, which protects employees from retaliation for reporting dependent adult abuse.
• Care Initiatives argued that state law does not allow employees to file civil lawsuits over such violations. A judge dismissed part of the case but allowed the rest to proceed.
• Care Initiatives denies wrongdoing, and a trial is set for March 30, 2026.

Stephanie Schlegelmilch v. Care Initiatives (Filed May 2024, Settled December 2024)

• Schlegelmilch, former director of nursing at Avoca Specialty Care, alleged she was fired for questioning a regional nurse about not wearing a mask during a COVID-19 outbreak.
• She also claimed management ignored her concerns about admitting new residents despite inadequate staffing.
• Care Initiatives denied wrongdoing, and the case was settled out of court in December 2024.

In each of these lawsuits, Care Initiatives has denied any wrongdoing. 

Wrongful Death Lawsuits

​Care Initiatives, a prominent nursing home operator in Iowa, is currently facing at least 10 wrongful death lawsuits filed over the past 18 months.

These lawsuits involve several Care Initiatives facilities:

• Southridge Specialty Care, Marshalltown
• Northcrest Specialty Care, Waterloo (multiple cases)
  • It's worth noting that Iowa authorities have conducted 21 complaint investigations of the Northcrest Specialty Care facility in Waterloo alone over the past 12 months, indicating ongoing concerns about the quality of care provided.
• Corning Specialty Care
• Wapello Specialty Care
• Avoca Specialty Care
• Corydon Specialty Care
• Parkridge Specialty Care, Pleasant Hill
• Fonda Specialty Care

 Below is a summary of each case.

1. Southridge Specialty Care, Marshalltown: The family of Larry Nichols alleges that within weeks of his March 2022 admission, staff failed to treat his pressure sores, leading to sepsis and his death on July 24, 2022. 
2. Northcrest Specialty Care, Waterloo: Lora Pavlovec's family claims that after her January 2022 admission, inadequate staffing led to severe pain, septic shock, and her death in May 2022.
3. Corning Specialty Care: Angela Segebart was admitted in September 2017. In January 2022, she tested positive for COVID-19 and was allegedly dropped by staff during a transfer, resulting in broken legs. She died shortly after due to complications. 
4. Wapello Specialty Care: Alice Ward's family alleges that after her June 2021 admission, she wandered from the facility in February 2022, suffered a fall resulting in severe injuries, and died five days later. 
5. Northcrest Specialty Care, Waterloo: John Nichols was admitted on February 8, 2022. Eight days later, he fell in the shower, sustained a brain bleed, and died hours later. 
6. Avoca Specialty Care: Craig Christensen's family claims that in January 2022, he developed an untreated urinary tract infection, leading to sepsis and his death on February 20, 2022. 
7. Corydon Specialty Care: The family of Gloria August alleges that after her January 2020 admission, she experienced multiple falls, with the last in December 2021 leading to significant injury and her death. ​
8. Northcrest Specialty Care, Waterloo: The family of Georgia Demuth claims inadequate care led to her death in June 2021. ​
9. Parkridge Specialty Care, Pleasant Hill: Neuang Boun Sisamouth's family alleges that on June 20, 2022, staff failed to respond to her dangerously low blood sugar levels, resulting in a fatal delay in hospital transport. 
10. Fonda Specialty Care: Marvin “Pete” Jacobs died in February 2023 after staff allegedly failed to clear his airway, leading to suffocation. 

In response to these allegations, Care Initiatives has consistently denied any wrongdoing. The company often seeks to dismiss cases based on arbitration agreements signed upon patient admission, which require disputes to be settled outside of court. 

As of now, Care Initiatives has not publicly commented on Weber's lawsuit. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for the company's operations and its approach to handling internal reports of misconduct.

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