What are the next steps DPH will take to address the quality problems associated with the facilities operated by RegalCare?
- Beginning this week, DPH monitors are in every RegalCare facility to assess and oversee the quality of care delivered to residents, visiting more frequently in those facilities where quality concerns are highest
- On October 13, 2026, the Department of Public Health issued a Notice of Intended Agency Action to Eliyahu “Eli” Mirlis, finding him not suitable or responsible to establish or maintain a long-term care facility in Massachusetts. The Department of Public Health made this decision based on the following:
- Misrepresentation/fraud by Eli Mirlis regarding his licensure status in another state and the revocation of his license to practice as a Nursing Home Administrator in New Jersey
- Substandard care/immediate jeopardy findings at RegalCare facilities in Massachusetts
- A recent settlement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office in which Mirlis admitted and accepted responsibility for billing MassHealth and Medicare for the provision of medically unreasonable and unnecessary skilled nursing services
- RegalCare will have 30 days to request an adjudicatory hearing on the Department’s proposed action. If a hearing is requested, the matter will be referred to the Division of Administrative Law Appeals (DALA) for a hearing.
- DALA is an independent agency that conducts adjudicatory hearings for Massachusetts state administrative agencies. DALA provides a neutral forum for hearing any case in which there is a right to appeal the decision of an administrative agency. Once the case is referred to DALA for handling, a magistrate will issue a scheduling order and set timelines for the various phases of the litigation. If the case proceeds to a full hearing, the magistrate will make a recommended decision. The Commissioner of Public Health will then review the magistrate’s recommendation and may either adopt it or make additional findings before issuing a final decision.
- If DALA finds that the Department’s proposed action is justified resulting in revocation of RegalCare’s license to operate a long-term care facility in Massachusetts, RegalCare will be barred from operating a facility in Massachusetts for 10 years. Other states may also take action on his license to operate in those states based on the Massachusetts action. If RegalCare does not request a hearing, Eli Mirlis will no longer be able to operate facilities in Massachusetts.
What has DPH been doing to maintain quality in these facilities?
- In the past three years, DPH has conducted approximately 90 inspections at the 12 RegalCare facilities in Massachusetts, resulting in four immediate jeopardy findings. We have used appropriate enforcement tools, including corrective action, restricting admissions, monetary penalties, and taking action that can affect Medicare and Medicaid funding.
- Our responsibility is to identify problems, require facilities to correct them, and see that the corrections are sustained. To do this, we conduct routine inspections, investigate complaints, and follow up with facilities that are not meeting our standards.
What are the 12 RegalCare facilities?
| Facility name | City/town |
|---|---|
| RegalCare at Blackstone Valley | Whitinsville |
| RegalCare at Courtyard Medford | Medford |
| RegalCare at Glen Ridge | Medford |
| RegalCare at Greenfield | Greenfield |
| RegalCare at Harwich | Harwich |
| RegalCare at Holyoke | Holyoke |
| RegalCare at Lowell | Lowell |
| RegalCare at Quincy | Quincy |
| RegalCare at Sudbury | Sudbury |
| Regalcare at Taunton | Taunton |
| RegalCare at Wakefield | Wakefield |
| RegalCare at Worcester | Worcester |
What will be different when the new regulations are implemented?
- New state regulations will give us stronger tools to look more closely at the full history of an operator and make a more complete assessment of the operator’s qualifications and ability to own and operate a nursing home.
- Under the prior law, review focuses on criminal history, financial capacity, and the proposed operator’s history of compliance with relevant laws and regulations. Under the new law, DPH will have broader authority, including the ability to look more closely at an operator’s quality record, including performance in others states and civil litigation history, financial issues, and records of owners and management companies.
How quickly will RegalCare’s nursing homes transition to new ownership?
- When there are serious concerns about the quality of care, we have an obligation to act — and act immediately when there is a serious risk. DPH is authorized to take appropriate enforcement actions, including actions that could result in the loss of a license. There are legal requirements and due process protections that we must follow, and any action we take must be supported by evidence.
- Approximately 1,300 people currently call the 12 RegalCare facilities home. Many of these residents are medically fragile, have complex care needs, and have built meaningful relationships with caregivers and fellow residents that are important to their health and well-being. We recognize that any disruption to their care or living arrangements could be especially challenging, and that identifying appropriate alternative placements for so many residents would be a significant undertaking. That is why DPH will be working diligently to support a transition to a new, responsible owner who can provide stability and continuity of care, while supporting residents, their families, and workers throughout the process.
- Our responsibility is to protect residents throughout this process. That means holding operators accountable, taking appropriate enforcement action, and seeing that residents continue to receive safe, high-quality care. The well-being of those residents comes first.
What kinds of events resulted in RegalCare’s immediate jeopardy findings?
These include issues with medication safety, adequate behavioral health care, and ensuring residents have the support and supervision they need to prevent accidents.
Are there other nursing homes or nursing-home owners in Massachusetts that have quality problems similar to those of RegalCare or whose quality has declined? And if so, is DPH reviewing them?
- DPH is managing a priority monitoring list of the lowest performing facilities, operators, and owners in the state, which we will be reviewing regularly
- While we will continue our current inspections, investigations, and impose the remedies available under the new regulations, we will also take additional steps when necessary to protect the health and well-being of the residents in these facilities. These steps include:
- More frequent visits by DPH inspectors
- Implementing a temporary manager
- Requiring a facility to engage a consultant to improve quality and safety
- Re-evaluating suitability of facility’s operators and owners when issues persist
- This enhanced oversight will be important not only for other low-performing facilities that have failed to improve despite our actions but also for higher-performing facilities at significant risk of decline
Does DPH already have the authority to examine an operator’s history in other states? What is different under the new regulations?
- New regulations give DPH more authority to review an operator’s history in other states — looking beyond violations of regulations or laws to examine quality more broadly
- Following the promulgation of the updated regulations, DPH will expand the scope of its review of all applicants, both in-state and out-of-state, to include civil litigation history, including litigation related to quality of care, safety of residents or staff, employment and labor issues, fraud, unfair or deceptive business practices, and landlord-tenant issues
Contact
Phone
For families and residents
Call DPH Nursing Home Action Call Center, For families and residents at (617) 468-2189
Available 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Friday, except state holidays.