The planned sale of an Iowa nursing home chain is in doubt again as the owner moves to close three of the 10 facilities and the federal government seeks payment of $2.1 million owed to taxpayers, the Iowa Capital Dispatch reported. The sale involves eight nursing homes and two assisted-living facilities owned by QHC Facilities, which filed for bankruptcy last year. QHC found a potential buyer for the 10 facilities: Blue Diamond Equities. But there’s now a dispute over whether the sale can proceed with QHC still owing hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for poor-quality resident care. In addition, court records indicate that Blue Diamond has notified the federal government it will not assume Medicare certification for several of the homes. That has prompted the U.S. Department of Justice to seek a delay in the bankruptcy proceedings, noting that the planned sale may not go through since the deadline for finalizing the deal passed on July 12. It’s only the latest snag in a long-running struggle to sell the facilities that are home to hundreds of elderly Iowans. Collectively, the eight facilities have a maximum capacity of more than 700 residents. QHC employs roughly 300 full-time and part-time workers. QHC’s legal odyssey began on Dec. 29, 2021, when the company filed for bankruptcy. The previous owner of the company, Jerry Voyna, had died several months before. His wife, Nancy, took over the company, began looking for a buyer, then filed for bankruptcy. She died in January, leaving the company to her son, who continued to pursue a sale of the company and all of its assets.
