WEST DES MOINES, IA (Iowa Capitol Dispatch) – An Iowa nursing home company has faced at least 17 wrongful-death and negligence lawsuits over the past 16 months, a review of court records shows.

The lawsuits have been filed against Care Initiatives, a nonprofit corporation based in West Des Moines that operates 43 Iowa nursing homes as well as several assisted living centers and hospice locations.

While some of the lawsuits have been settled out of court and dismissed during the past 16 months, others are still being litigated or have been stayed as the disputes are handled through private arbitration. In each of the lawsuits, Care Initiatives has denied any wrongdoing.

The company, which says it does not comment on pending litigation, cares for roughly 2,800 elderly or disabled Iowans who receive care in one of its state-licensed nursing facilities or assisted living centers.

The latest lawsuit, brought by the estate of Maris Bergis, seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages from Care Initiatives and one of its nursing homes, Parkridge Specialty Care of Pleasant Hill, for alleged dependent adult abuse, recklessness, negligence and wrongful death.

The lawsuit alleges Parkridge “negligently cared for Bergis and violated numerous regulations, laws, rights, and industry standards, causing (him) personal injury, illness, harm, and a decline in health.”

According to the lawsuit, Bergis was admitted to Parkridge on Sept. 1, 2023, for a 48-hour stay following his hospitalization for pneumonia. Upon admission, he was allegedly alert, awake and oriented, and Parkridge was tasked with providing physician-prescribed breathing treatments and monitoring him for difficulty with breathing and any signs of anxiety, confusion or restlessness.

During the course of Bergis’ stay at Parkridge, the staff at the home allegedly failed to administer the breathing treatments. The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing subsequently cited Parkridge for its care of Bergis finding that it had delayed providing necessary medical care and treatment.

While the lawsuit does not indicate when, where or how Bergis died, it claims the “gross negligence, and/or recklessness” of Care Initiatives and Parkridge “were the cause of Bergis’ decline in health, injuries, damages and untimely death.”

State inspection reports indicate Bergis was alive, but was increasingly nonresponsive, late in the afternoon on Sept. 4, 2023, which was three days after his admission to Parkridge. The inspection records indicate Bergis was sent to a hospital by ambulance at his spouse’s insistence, but they provide no information as to the hospital’s diagnosis or treatment outcome.

Other wrongful death or negligence lawsuits that have been litigated against Care Initiatives over the past 16 months include:

Northcrest Specialty Care, Waterloo: In January 2024, the family of the late Lora Pavlovec sued, alleging Pavlovec was admitted to Northcrest in January 2022 after which the home failed to provide sufficient, qualified staff to meet her needs, specifically as related to skin care and the prevention of pressure sores. That alleged failure, the lawsuit claimed, resulted in severe pain, septic shock and, in May 2022, Pavlovec’s death. The matter was resolved shortly before trial with the family filing a motion to dismiss the case.

Northcrest Specialty Care, Waterloo: In January 2024, the family of the late Janice Schmitt sued, alleging Schmitt died on Sept. 28, 2022, after sustaining multiple traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhages and bone fractures as a consequence of a fall caused by the home’s negligence. The case is pending, with a trial scheduled Feb. 17, 2026.

Northcrest Specialty Care, Waterloo: In January 2024, the family of the late John Nichols sued, alleging he was admitted to Northcrest on Feb. 8, 2022, and, eight days later, fell while in the shower. Nichols was taken to a hospital where he allegedly died hours later due to a brain bleed attributed to the fall. Care Initiatives successfully fought to have most of the family’s claims settled through arbitration. Court records indicate the lawsuit is currently stayed, pending the outcome of the arbitration proceedings.

Northcrest Specialty Care, Waterloo: In May 2023, the family of the late Georgia Demuth sued for negligence and wrongful death, alleging Demuth died in June 2021 as the result of Northcrest’s failure to provide adequate care. In September 2024, the family filed a motion to dismiss the case.

Southridge Specialty Care, Marshalltown: In January 2024, the family of the late Larry Nichols sued, alleging that within a few weeks of Nichols’ admission to Southridge in March 2022 he suffered from sepsis and septic shock caused by the staff’s failure to treat pressure sores and wounds. Nichols died on July 24, 2022. In April 2025, in response to Care Initiatives’ efforts to have the case dismissed due to an arbitration agreement, a judge ordered the bulk of the case to proceed to arbitration with the remaining claims against Care Initiatives stayed pending the outcome of arbitration.

Centerville Specialty Care: In October 2024, the family of the late Debbie Thomas sued, alleging that Thomas suffered second-degree burns on one leg due to a heating element near her bed and that she sustained a serious pressure sore the staff failed to adequately treat. Thomas allegedly died after being admitted to a hospital where she was diagnosed with a 4-inch-long pressure sore, an infection and dangerously low potassium levels. A trial is scheduled for Jan. 12, 2027.

Corning Specialty Care: In January 2024, the family of the late Angela Segebart alleged Segebart was admitted to the Corning home in September 2017 and that on Jan. 20, 2022, she tested positive for COVID-19. On Jan. 27, 2022, the staff allegedly dropped Segebart while transferring her in or out of bed, resulting in two broken legs. The lawsuit claims the staff then failed to assess Segebart’s injuries and placed her back in bed. Two days later, she was experiencing respiratory problems and was transferred to a hospital, where she subsequently died. Care Initiatives successfully fought to have the bulk of the case settled through arbitration, and the family filed a motion to dismiss its lawsuit against the company in September 2024.

Wapello Specialty Care: In March 2023, the family of the late Alice Ward used, alleging that after Ward was admitted to the Wapello home in June 2021, she was deemed to be at a high risk for falls. In February 2022, she allegedly wandered from the home, fell and sustained a neck fracture and head wound, and then died five days later. The judge in the case stayed the court proceedings pending the outcome of arbitration and in May 2025 the lawsuit was dismissed at the family’s request.

Avoca Specialty Care: In January 2024, the family of the late Craig Christensen sued, alleging the staff at the Avoca home failed to treat Christensen’s urinary tract infection, leading to the development of sepsis, septic shock and, on Feb. 20, 2022, death. The attorney for the family later informed the court a settlement in the case had been reached and in June 2025 the case was dismissed.

Ravenwood Specialty Care, Waterloo: In May 2025, the family of the late Mickey Neal sued, alleging negligence and wrongful death. The lawsuit claims Neal was admitted to Ravenwood on March 15, 2024 and that two weeks later, on April 3, 2024, the staff allegedly found him on the floor of his room, incontinent and bleeding from a head wound. He was then transferred to UnityPoint Allen Hospital where he died on April 7, 2024. A trial is scheduled for July 13, 2027.

Corydon Specialty Care: In December 2024, the family of the late Gloria August sued, alleging her death after a series of falls in 2020 and 2021 was caused by the Corydon home’s negligence. In October 2025, the family filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

Parkridge Specialty Care, Pleasant Hill: In June 2024, the family of Neuang Boun Sisamouth sued, alleging that on June 20, 2022, the staff at Parkridge failed to respond to her deteriorating condition, despite dangerously low blood sugar levels. Licensed Practical Nurse Dezaree Major failed to call 911 as ordered, and there was a 90-minute delay in transporting Sisamouth to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead a short time later, the lawsuit claims. A trial is scheduled for March 29, 2027. In 2022, the Iowa Board of Nursing alleged Major was working at an unspecified Iowa nursing home in 2021 where, for five months, she falsified various medical records and performed nursing services beyond the scope of her license.

Parkridge Specialty Care, Pleasant Hill: In August 2024, the family of the late Kerry Morris sued, alleging that Morris died at age 58, one week after being admitted to Parkridge for what was supposed to be a temporary stay to assist with recovery from a leg amputation. The lawsuit claims that on the evening of Aug. 23, 2022, two nurses failed to respond to a certified nurse aide’s request that they come to the assistance of Morris, who was in respiratory distress at the time.

Morris was allegedly left alone in his room, fell out of his bed, and went into cardiac arrest while the CNA unsuccessfully sought assistance from the staff. Workers were then unable to find the home’s crash cart, the lawsuit claims, adding that “video evidence shows that there were at least six people who were not attempting to assist Kerry Morris and who were standing in the hallway.” In July 2025, the lawsuit was dismissed at the request of Morris’ family.

Fonda Specialty Care: In October 2024, the family of Marvin “Pete” Jacobs sued, alleging negligence and wrongful death. Jacobs died in February 2023 at Fonda Specialty Care, after which the state alleged the staff had repeatedly failed to clear Jacobs’ tracheostomy tube, which provided an airway for him to breathe.

Pocahontas County prosecutors later charged caregiver Becky Sue Manning, 70, of Lake View, with felony wanton neglect of a health care facility resident. Manning entered an Alford plea of guilty to a reduced charge in which she didn’t admit to the underlying allegations, but acknowledged there was sufficient evidence to prove wanton neglect should the case go to trial. The Jacobs family’s lawsuit has been stayed while the matter is handled through private arbitration.

In a separate but related civil-court proceeding, former Fonda Specialty Care employee Tylene Schultz is suing Care Initiatives for wrongful termination, alleging that after Jacobs’ death she received multiple text messages from a supervisor saying, “Keep your mouth shut and keep your opinions to yourself,” along with instructions that she should not communicate with Jacobs’ family. A trial is scheduled for Aug. 4. 2026.

Crestview Specialty Care, West Branch: In January 2025, the family of Ruth Bartow sued, alleging recklessness, negligence and dependent adult abuse. The lawsuit cites state inspection reports that indicate an unauthorized male visitor was found in Bartow’s room on April 5, 2023, lying in bed with Bartow without any clothes on. A trial is scheduled for May 17, 2027.

Odebolt Specialty Care: In February 2025, Elaine Gunderson sued, alleging negligence and breach of contract. The lawsuit claims that on July 2, 2024, the 88-year-old Gunderson was found at the bottom of a set of 13 concrete stairs that led from the Odebolt home’s kitchen to the basement. Although the kitchen was considered a restricted area from which residents were barred, a staff member had allegedly propped open the door, allowing Gunderson to wheel herself into the area.

After she was found at the foot of the stairs, she was transported to a hospital where, according to state inspectors, she was admitted with a head wound that required seven stitches to close as well as “bruises on her head, hands, legs, hips, both eyes and all over basically.” The lawsuit has been stayed pending the outcome of arbitration proceedings