A former skilled nursing facility administrator who was convicted of felony fraud has surrendered his license to run nursing homes after the state found he made employees work while sick with COVID-19 during an outbreak.
Larry Michael Rasmussen did not appear at a hearing Monday to determine the fate of his license. His attorney sent a letter to the state board that held the hearing, saying Rasmussen wouldn’t attend and wouldn’t “answer any additional questions,” according to a report by the Arizona Republic.
The Arizona Board of Nursing Care Institution Administrators and Assisted Living Managers accepted his offer to surrender his license.
Rasmussen’s downfall came after more than 50 residents at Granite Creek Health and Rehabilitation contracted COVID-19 after management made sick employees work in July 2020, according to officials. At least 15 residents died.
Since Rasmussen didn’t appear at Monday’s hearing, the board didn’t hold discussions on the matter and subpoenaed employees weren’t able to testify, according to the news report.
An investigation earlier this year by the Republic found that the board had approved a license for Rasmussen after overlooking his lack of healthcare experience and his felony record for defrauding investors in several real estate deals.
