HARTFORD, Conn. -- Gov. Jodi Rell said the state may need to take over some nursing homes run by Middletown-based Haven Healthcare because of poor conditions.

Rell has asked state officials to finish their reviews of the company's financial and care conditions by Dec. 1 so the state can pursue placing one or more of the nursing homes under state receivership.

Haven Healthcare owns 25 nursing homes in New England, including 15 in Connecticut. The Hartford Courant reported Sunday that the company has been fined more than 45 times in the past three years by Connecticut and federal health agencies for serious problems with patient care.

State officials said they are also investigating whether the company misused millions of dollars in Medicaid money.

Haven Chief Executive Raymond Termini has acknowledged using assets from the company to launch Category 5 Records in Nashville, but denied misusing Medicaid money.

"No nursing home funds were used for that endeavor. We sold off real estate; some of the money from the sale in real estate in nursing homes and other money was put into investment in hope that we can help our nursing homes some day with that investment," Termini told Eyewitness News.

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