Tag: Deirdre Garrett-Scott

Hundreds Died of COVID at NYC Nursing Homes With Spotless Infection Inspections

By Susan Jaffe   |    THE CITY    |    May 27, 2020     

More than 600 residents have died from COVID-19 at 25 New York City nursing homes that received clean bills of health for controlling the spread of infections, state Department of Health inspection reports obtained by THE CITY show.

Those facilities include homes with some of the highest coronavirus death tolls in the nation — including the Sapphire Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing in Flushing, which reports 54 residents died of confirmed or presumed COVID….

At the Franklin Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing, also in Flushing, 60 residents — nearly one in five — succumbed to the virus. Its May 4 inspection report found no problems.

Also passing its May 11 infection-control inspection was New York State Veterans Home in St. Albans, Queens. Staff there previously told THE CITY that the state Health Department-run home failed to separate COVID-positive and uninfected residents, something that was a violation at other facilities….

“It’s very shocking that at the apex of this pandemic, our inspectors went in and reported that that there’s nothing out of the ordinary when it’s clear that the infection rate had spread,” said Assemblymember Ron Kim (D-Queens), whose district includes Sapphire and the Franklin Center.   [continued here].

…

Nursing Home Watchdogs Scarce At NYC Facilities As Hundreds Die Within

CLOSED  DOORS    |    THE CITY    |    April 23, 2020     

By Susan Jaffe 

Eyes and ears usually trained on New York’s nursing homes and adult care facilities have been nearly locked out as the coronavirus has claimed the lives of more than 3,500 residents statewide.

Almost entirely out of the picture are nursing home inspectors,employed by the state Department of Health and

 coordinated by the federal government, who are responsible for ensuring that the facilities comply with federal health and safety requirements.

“Nursing facilities are essentially free of public scrutiny right now, at a time when scrutiny is more important than ever,” said Susan Dooha, executive director of the Center for Independence of the Disabled in New York [continued here].

…