Iowa politicians, including Governor-elect Terry Branstad (R) and state legislators from both parties, have publicly criticized Dean Lerner, the head of Iowa’s Department of Inspections and Appeals, which regulates state nursing homes.
Governor-elect Branstad said on Iowa Public Television during his campaign that he wanted to replace Lerner. He said Lerner and his inspectors had a “gotcha” attitude when it came to reporting nursing home code violations, the Des Moines Register reported. Iowa currently has 40,000 seniors and disabled individuals in 730 care facilities.
In response, Lerner has accused legislators of too often siding with the industry. In 2005, Iowa lawmakers supported industry-proposed legislation to keep citizens from seeing state inspection reports on assisted living facilities prior to the appeals process. Lerner also has asserted that Branstad’s notions about inspectors’ “gotcha” approach is outdated and is “a reflection of an outdated and consistent theme to limit government oversight,” the newspaper reported.
