Trends in Long-Term Care - U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging

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Senator Moss. Thank you. I would be very pleased to have them,
and we will make them a part of the record.
Ml. LEWIN. Mr. Chairman. <strong>in</strong> the <strong>in</strong>terest of fairness, might I ofer
up to the committee the document which Dr. Bergman spoke of <strong>in</strong> his
open<strong>in</strong>g statement, the disclosure of a New York Health Department
file, which was publicly disclosed accord<strong>in</strong>g to the report <strong>in</strong> the New
York Timnes, by the assistant director of the New York Health Department,
who had compiled, the health department had compiled a family
tree of Dr. Bergman, with all of the nurs<strong>in</strong>g homes that he had an
Interest <strong>in</strong>.
It is our conclusion on the basis of add<strong>in</strong>g up all of these nurs<strong>in</strong>g
homes, that this is the basis of the allegations, he directly owns 55
nurs<strong>in</strong>g homes <strong>in</strong> New York State, and I th<strong>in</strong>k <strong>in</strong> the <strong>in</strong>terest of fairness,
that document, which has now been disclosed, and is the basis of
the New York Health Department's allegation that Dr. Bergman is a
czar of nurs<strong>in</strong>g homes, should be made a part of this committee's
record, and Dr. Bergman should be permitted to review it, to go
through those nurs<strong>in</strong>g homes, and tell you whether he owns them or
not. and <strong>in</strong>deed to go through that family tree, which gives him a
variety of brother-<strong>in</strong>-law, sister-<strong>in</strong>-law, and cous<strong>in</strong>s, and other relatives,
who he does not know, and is not related to, and has no association
With.
Senator Moss. All right. We will hear from Dr. Bergman on that.
Dr. BERGMAr]N. In our operations <strong>in</strong> New York City, we have a partnership
<strong>in</strong> the Oxford Nurs<strong>in</strong>g Home, and <strong>in</strong> the Park Crescent Nurs<strong>in</strong>g
Home.
As I mentioned before, we did have a share <strong>in</strong> the Utica Genesee
Nurs<strong>in</strong>g Home, which was sold last October.
It is on contract, I should say, and we have recently closed the Towers
Nurs<strong>in</strong>g Home.
Now, we do have an <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong> property ownership, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the
Laconia Nurs<strong>in</strong>g Home, the Towers, Golden Gate, the Carlton, 10
percent <strong>in</strong> the Carlton Realty, a 10-percent <strong>in</strong>terest, and a build<strong>in</strong>g to
be called the Danube Nurs<strong>in</strong>g Home, which never opened because of
certa<strong>in</strong> bureaucratic problems.
I also wanted to mention that my daughter, Miriam Kass, has a third
<strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong> a realty property of a small nurs<strong>in</strong>g home called the Riverside.
This is <strong>in</strong> New York State.
Senator Moss. Those are all you have <strong>in</strong> New York State?
Dr. BERGMEAN. Yes. Now, I should like, if I may, Senator, to talk
about this exhibit, whatever you call it, this list that was submitted by
my attorney.*
I want to say the follow<strong>in</strong>g, that when I first looked at this list when
I returned a few days ago, I was rather shocked, shocked more than
anyth<strong>in</strong>g else that I heard, of any other accusations I heard, because
this list, or this blacklist is the heart of the terrible <strong>in</strong>justice which is
be<strong>in</strong>g reflected upon me, or <strong>in</strong>flicted upon me.
Beh<strong>in</strong>d my back, <strong>in</strong> secret. the bureaucracy compiled a fictitious
charge, a so-called Bergman family tree, and lists 55 nurs<strong>in</strong>g homes
and operations as m<strong>in</strong>e, 55 nurs<strong>in</strong>g homes, and here I must give Mr.
* See appendix 2, itemi 1, p. 2961.