DOJ Creates Elder Justice Task Force Teams

The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) recently launched ten regional Elder Justice Task Forces (EJTF) “to coordinate and enhance efforts to pursue nursing homes that provide grossly substandard care to their residents.”  The EJTF teams “will include representatives from the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, state Medicaid Fraud Control Units, state and local prosecutors’ offices, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), state Adult Protective Services agencies, Long-Term Care Ombudsman programs [eg, Ohio Department of Aging Long-term Care Ombudsman Programs] and law enforcement.”  One of the ten EJTF teams will be launched in the Southern District of Ohio.  Keesha Mitchell is the Director of the Ohio Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and President of the National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units.  The EJTF teams will receive litigation support and training from the DoJ Elder Justice Initiative, which “plays an integral role in the department’s investigative and enforcement efforts against nursing homes and other long-term care entities that deliver grossly substandard care to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.”  For additional information, see the DoJ Elder Justice Initiative web site.