A healthcare group that ran a personal care home in Lackawanna County pleaded guilty Wednesday afternoon in a case that ended with the death of a resident.
In exchange for the plea some charges against one of the group's owners were dismissed.
Dr. Gregory Salko's Phoenix Healthcare of Simpson did admit guilt to two charges but at least four other counts, including neglect charges, were dismissed.
Prosecutors said it's one of the most complex cases they've ever investigated.
The investigation began when a former resident of Birch Hills Ppersonal Care Home in Simpson died in 2006.
The district attorney's office said Peggy Rogers was a patient there until she was transferred to a hospital. That's when other doctors found she had breast cancer. She died justthree months later.
Prosecutors said Dr. Salko, the owner of Bbirch Hills, was responsible for not finding the cancer earlier but charges of neglect were dismissed.
"There's a conflict between a person's right to choose what they want to do and the obligation of a caregiver to force a person to do something, whether it be bathing, changing of clothes, simple activities of daily living," said Assistant District Attorney Gene Taolerico.
He added Peggy Rogers was deemed competent to make her own decisionsd so when she decided to make her care difficult there were no laws forcing Salko's care home to make sure she was attended to.
"Peggy did refuse, many times, to have certain types of care. At one point she called and reported the staff for forcing her, in her words, to have a shower," Talerico added.
Talerico said the Rogers case forced state lawmakers to consider the lack of Pennsylvania laws that protect seniors.
"We feel that we achieved a measure of justice, although it's not the measure of justice that we envisioned two years ago, nonetheless we moved forward the cause of better protecting older Pennsylvanians," said Talerico.
The end result of the investigation is Salko's company will be held accountable for altering Peggy Roger's records and doling out narcotics to patients addicted to drugs.
Salko gave up his medical license two years ago. Part of Wednesday's guilty plea shows he could try to reinstate it this October but the district attorney'ss office said they will fight Salko's attempts to do so.
The doctor must also pay a $300,000 fine.
This is not the end of Salko's troubles with the law. He's due in federal court on insurance fraud charges this summer.
Salko's attorney had no comment.
In exchange for the plea some charges against one of the group's owners were dismissed.
Dr. Gregory Salko's Phoenix Healthcare of Simpson did admit guilt to two charges but at least four other counts, including neglect charges, were dismissed.
Prosecutors said it's one of the most complex cases they've ever investigated.
The investigation began when a former resident of Birch Hills Ppersonal Care Home in Simpson died in 2006.
The district attorney's office said Peggy Rogers was a patient there until she was transferred to a hospital. That's when other doctors found she had breast cancer. She died justthree months later.
Prosecutors said Dr. Salko, the owner of Bbirch Hills, was responsible for not finding the cancer earlier but charges of neglect were dismissed.
"There's a conflict between a person's right to choose what they want to do and the obligation of a caregiver to force a person to do something, whether it be bathing, changing of clothes, simple activities of daily living," said Assistant District Attorney Gene Taolerico.
He added Peggy Rogers was deemed competent to make her own decisionsd so when she decided to make her care difficult there were no laws forcing Salko's care home to make sure she was attended to.
"Peggy did refuse, many times, to have certain types of care. At one point she called and reported the staff for forcing her, in her words, to have a shower," Talerico added.
Talerico said the Rogers case forced state lawmakers to consider the lack of Pennsylvania laws that protect seniors.
"We feel that we achieved a measure of justice, although it's not the measure of justice that we envisioned two years ago, nonetheless we moved forward the cause of better protecting older Pennsylvanians," said Talerico.
The end result of the investigation is Salko's company will be held accountable for altering Peggy Roger's records and doling out narcotics to patients addicted to drugs.
Salko gave up his medical license two years ago. Part of Wednesday's guilty plea shows he could try to reinstate it this October but the district attorney'ss office said they will fight Salko's attempts to do so.
The doctor must also pay a $300,000 fine.
This is not the end of Salko's troubles with the law. He's due in federal court on insurance fraud charges this summer.
Salko's attorney had no comment.
