URBANA – The Champaign County Nursing Home has been slapped with $50,000 in fines and threatened with further sanctions over violations of state public health regulations.

But the administrator of the nursing home said the penalties are being appealed and that he expects them to be reduced.

The department of public health notified the nursing home of the sanctions last month. An appeal and request for a hearing on the penalties was filed three days later.

The unspecified violations were discovered in regular public health inspections in February, March and April, said nursing home administrator Andrew Buffenbarger.

The inspections, he said, "pointed out some of our programs and systems that needed to be done a bit better. That's pretty normal in the whole (inspection) process."

"We've addressed some of those things that they've pointed out, and some of those things are being appealed."

Once one problem was corrected, Buffenbarger said, others were found.

"That's how these cycles work. Until they come back and they have no findings, then they continue to have (inspections)."

Buffenbarger refused to explain the specifics behind the fine, and state public health officials would not provide details.

But Champaign County Board Chair C. Pius Weibel said the initial violation had to do with problems with the administration of a prescription drug to a nursing home resident.

The state levied four separate $10,000 fines against the nursing home. Another $10,000 fine was assessed on behalf of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.