CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : TUSTIN : Care Firm Fined $616,107

A Tustin company that runs 58 nursing homes in California agreed Wednesday to pay $616,107 in fines for hundreds of health code violations during the last seven years. Care Enterprises West had accumulated 587 citations, ranging from poor record-keeping to significant safety problems, said state Health Director Dr. Kenneth W. Kizer. Another $120,053 in fines could be levied if conditions of the settlement are not met, Kizer said. “They’ve actually made significant progress in the last two years,” Kizer said. “What we want to do is say, ‘OK, you’ve made a lot of progress, let’s save a lot of money on lawyers, get this straightened out.’ ” The settlement, the second-largest of its kind, was delayed several years when the parent company of Care Enterprises filed for bankruptcy reorganization.