Rockmart nursing home shut down by state

Officials transporting residents of Rockmart Nursing and Rehab (from WSB-TV)

Residents of an area nursing home were transported to other facilities Wednesday after state and local officials were ordered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to shut down operations.

Rockmart Nursing and Rehab, located on Hunter Street, had already received a termination notice on January 8, effectively losing their ability to receive funding from Medicare and Medicaid.

Residents, at the time, had until February 7 to find another facility to move to before the termination order went into effect.

However, state officials issued an emergency shut down after it was revealed the parent company, New Beginnings Care, LLC, did not make payroll on Tuesday.

Residents were moved to several area facilities by ambulance and transport service vehicles all day Wednesday.

The shutdown comes weeks after an announcement of a new 86,000 square feet nursing facility planned for the Rockmart area.