COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- A newspaper reports that during the past fiscal year, Ohio's nursing homes were cited nearly twice as often as the previous year for putting patients at serious risk of harm.

The Columbus Dispatch ( http://bit.ly/QJ5jfG ) reported Monday that the jump in "immediate jeopardy" citations in the 2011-12 fiscal year coincides with cuts in Medicaid payments. But officials say it's too soon to say whether the smaller government payments are affecting the quality of nursing-home care.

Government officials issued 41 "immediate jeopardy" citations in the 12 months ending June 30, the first year that nursing homes received reduced payments. That was up from 22 citations in the previous 12 months, and the most since 51 such citations were issued in the 2007-08 fiscal year.

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Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com