Last of three parts.

Ten years ago, Pat McGinnis took the state of California to court.

As head of California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, McGinnis was peeved that state officials failed to follow the law and collect complete and accurate nursing-home ownership information. What the state did collect, her group charged, was “often outdated and so poorly organized” it was virtually inaccessible to the public.

The advocacy group won its lawsuit, but the fight…