The Klein Center in West Burlington is facing a potential $10,000 fine after a long-term care resident died after being put to bed while struggling to breathe. The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing has proposed the fine. That fine is being held in suspension while the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services determines whether a federal penalty will be imposed in place of the proposed state fine.
According to state inspectors, the staff at the Klein Center failed to perform a proper assessment and failed to intervene when a female resident with Down syndrome coughed, choked and vomited during the evening meal on Dec. 5, 2025. The resident continued to struggle to breathe and was coughing when put to bed. The woman’s oxygen levels had dropped and she was no longer responsive. The staff called 911 but pronounced the woman dead a short time later.
In May 2025, Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center’s Klein Center was fined $500 by the state for resident abuse. Three staff members were aware of a CNA’s verbal abuse of staff, but didn’t report it, in part because they had to work with her regularly.
Federal records indicate that during the past three years, Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center’s Klein Center has been fined once by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The facility has a three-star, or average, overall rating from CMS