The owner of a Southwest Michigan rehabilitation center agreed to pay a $1 million civil fine to settle allegations that it violated federal law over controlled substances.
The consent agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice settles a case against Richmond-based Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Center Inc., President and CEO Paula Nelson, and Medical Director Dr. Janis Romanik.
The federal government claimed the behavioral health and addiction treatment services network’s Serenity Hills Recovery & Wellness Center facility in Berrien Center violated he Controlled Substances Act by “allowing unqualified nursing staff to dispense controlled substances to patients without an appropriate examination by a qualified medical practitioner,” according to the Sept. 24 complaint filed in federal court in Grand Rapids…