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Missourinet

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You are here: Home / Archives for Armstrong Teasdale

Missouri Veterans Commissioner says chairman’s actions raise transparency concerns

December 31, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

In October, Gov. Mike Parson called on the Missouri Veterans Commission to launch an independent, external investigation about a deadly COVID-19 outbreak within Missouri’s veterans homes. The virus has so far claimed the lives of at least 158 residents in the seven state-operated nursing homes for veterans.

Missouri Veterans Commission Chairman Tim Noonan

Armstrong Teasdale law firm won the bid to review the COVID-19 safety measures and make recommendations. The firm released a blistering report saying a “failure of leadership”, “failure to recognize the outbreak”, and the “lack of a comprehensive outbreak plan” were major reasons the outbreak happened.

The contract with the firm included a 415-page full report and a 53-page summary. The price tag of the investigation was $350,000 of taxpayer money.

State Senator Jill Schupp, who is a member of the commission, tells Missourinet Chairman Tim Noonan received the report on November 17. The commissioners were given it on November 30. She says Noonan let the commissioners view the full report for about three days before she says she was stripped of access. Chairman Noonan says she was able to review but not share the entire 415-page report because of security and privacy protections. Schupp, D-Creve Coeur, is calling on Noonan to release the full report.

“The report will have information in it that may be very important to understanding how we move forward and protect the health and well-being of our veterans and of our staff, how we make sure that we lessen the exposure, and make sure everybody comes out safely on the other side of this. That’s what this report was supposed to help us understand. Not having access to it, not being able to see it and utilize the information in it handicaps us,” says Schupp. “We have an obligation to take care of our veterans and to make sure they are healthy and to do everything we can to make sure that our staff who is taking care of them directly is healthy. That’s what these reports were supposed to be about. If no one can see them, we can’t act upon them.”

Sen. Jill Schupp, D-Creve Coeur

She says any personal information could be removed.

“This is an unprecedented situation was for us. We want to make sure we are doing everything as well as possible to care for our veterans. Armstrong Teasdale was hired as investigators to help us figure that out. The chairman is saying it is not necessary that the report be put forward. I can’t rationalize it,” says Schupp. “It is the law. It is about transparency. It is about putting the veterans first. That’s what we need to be doing. Whatever information we need to gather, discern, and learn from, that is what we need to be working on.”

During a virtual presentation this month about the investigation’s findings, Schupp says all the commissioners had their computer microphones muted, except for Noonan.

“We didn’t know until we got there. We were not allowed to appear on the screens,” says Schupp. “He took roll, but he didn’t allow us to answer the rolls. He just said, ‘Okay, this commissioner is here, this commissioner is here.’ We were not allowed to make a comment at any point in time. We were not allowed to use the chat to put forward questions.”

Schupp says she asked the firm for additional information.

“I tried reaching out to them via phone and email. I was not responded to but then there was a letter sent saying that Armstrong Teasdale had fulfilled their contractual obligation and they would not be communicating with any of us – that their relationship with us was over as per the contract,” she says.

Schupp says the governor’s general counsel, his chief of staff, and Missouri Office of Administration Commissioner Sarah Steelman all agree the summary and full report are subject to the state’s open records law.

“I don’t think the chairman is trying to undermine the care for our veterans,” says Schupp. “I just think he’s gone about this in a way that is not constructive. But, I do believe he is hampering our ability to take care of our veterans by his actions and refusal to release this public report. And he is sidestepping Missouri law. Even though we don’t necessarily agree as commissioners on what information needs to be put out there to move us in this direction, I think every one of us wants to make sure that our veterans health, safety, and well-being are the absolute top priority. At the same time, we care deeply about our staff who does the very hard work of taking care of our veterans, which is hard anyway. But during a pandemic, just so difficult. We are grateful and want to keep all of them healthy and safe.”

Has Schupp gotten any pushback since putting out the call? She says Noonan sent the rest of the commission a copy of a St. Louis Post-Dispatch article about her efforts to get the full report released. She says Noonan included a note suggesting that Schupp has put the commission at risk and he plans to call a meeting within the next week.

“I have been asking him to call a meeting,” she says. “Now maybe he will move forward and call a meeting so that I can talk to the commissioners, along with the Missouri Veterans Commission attorney, about why it is critical that we release this document.”

Schupp says the commission has been holding meetings quarterly, but the chairman has the ability to call additional meetings if he wants.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson briefs Capitol reporters in Jefferson City on December 2, 2020 (file photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

Gov. Parson’s office issued this statement to Missourinet:

“As a veteran myself, the Missouri Veterans Commission is very important to me. It’s not about the Commission or the Chair; it’s about the veterans. This is why I took action and called for an investigation. It’s evident that change is needed,” said Parson.

During a Capitol press conference Wednesday in Jefferson City, Missourinet asked Parson to elaborate on what changes he wants.

“I’ve got to be careful with that,” he said. “I’m going to do everything within my power to make sure they (veterans) are taken care of. If people didn’t do their job is why I called for the investigation to expose that, if that is the case. The veterans will be a priority. I’m not going to worry about everybody’s personal lives that sit on a commission or a chairman. I’m just going to absolutely worry about the veterans and that is my whole focus.”

Noonan was appointed in 2017 by former Gov. Eric Greitens.

In an email from Noonan to Office of Administration Commissioner Sarah Steelman, Noonan says he is “keen” to release the report but wants assurances first.

“At this point, I believe it is prudent to have an opinion letter from the state. This should clearly articulate that I am held harmless and incidentally I don’t have attorney-client privilege with Armstrong Teasdale,” says Noonan.

Missourinet has contacted the Veterans Commission seeking a comment from Noonan.

Earlier stories:

Parson: changes must be made at Missouri veterans homes; governor also touts safety of COVID vaccine
https://www.missourinet.com/2020/12/18/parson-changes-must-be-made-at-missouri-veterans-homes-governor-also-touts-safety-of-covid-vaccine/

Veterans Commission says homes need transformation: “We have to assume we’ll be hit like this again
https://www.missourinet.com/2020/12/16/veterans-commission-says-homes-need-transformation-we-have-to-assume-well-be-hit-like-this-again/

Governor Parson reacts to investigative report into recent COVID deaths at Missouri veterans homes
https://www.missourinet.com/2020/12/04/governor-parson-reacts-to-investigative-report-into-recent-covid-deaths-at-missouri-veterans-homes/

Armstrong Teasdale: Missouri veterans homes should undergo a COVID-19 reset (AUDIO)
https://www.missourinet.com/2020/12/03/armstrong-teasdale-missouri-veterans-homes-should-undergo-a-covid-19-reset-audio/

Missouri Veteran’s Homes COVID-19 deadly outbreak showed failures of leadership, planning and response, says scathing report
https://www.missourinet.com/2020/12/03/missouri-veterans-homes-covid-19-deadly-outbreak-showed-absence-of-leadership-planning-and-response-says-scathing-report/

Veterans Commission homes continue to fight coronavirus, 109 veterans dead since Sept. 1
https://www.missourinet.com/2020/11/24/veterans-commission-homes-continue-to-fight-coronavirus-109-veterans-dead-since-sept-1/

Kehoe: initial report about COVID deaths in Missouri veterans homes mentions air flow systems (AUDIO)
https://www.missourinet.com/2020/11/05/kehoe-initial-report-about-covid-deaths-in-missouri-veterans-homes-mentions-air-flow-systems-audio/

Hawley disturbed by COVID-19 deaths at Missouri veterans homes; MO DMAT-1 team now deployed (AUDIO/VIDEO)
https://www.missourinet.com/2020/10/26/hawley-disturbed-by-covid-19-deaths-at-missouri-veterans-homes-mo-dmat-1-team-now-deployed/

After deaths, Parson orders review of COVID-19 procedures within Missouri Veterans Homes
https://www.missourinet.com/2020/10/02/after-4-deaths-parson-orders-review-of-covid-19-procedures-within-missouri-veterans-homes/

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Filed Under: Military, News Tagged With: Armstrong Teasdale, governor mike parson, Missouri Office of Administration Commissioner Sarah Steelman, Missouri Veterans Commission, State Sen. Jill Schupp, Tim Noonan

Parson: changes must be made at Missouri veterans homes; governor also touts safety of COVID vaccine

December 18, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri Veterans Commission (MVC) says at least 145 veterans living at Missouri veterans homes have died from the coronavirus, since September. 39 of those deaths happened at the state veterans home in northwest Missouri’s Cameron, while 29 have occurred at the home in southeast Missouri’s Cape Girardeau.

Governor Mike Parson tours the La-Z-Boy plant in southwest Missouri’s Neosho on December 17, 2020 (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

During a press conference at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City this week, Governor Mike Parson told Missourinet that changes must be made involving the operations of state veterans homes. He says his office will see that it’s done.

“Most of you have seen the report that’s come out, you know things have to be done differently,” Parson says. “And we’re going to ensure that those changes are made as soon as we possibly can make those changes. The state has stepped in, once we seen that we felt like there was a problem there and have been on the ground ever since.”

An independent investigation conducted by St. Louis-based Armstrong Teasdale found that the MVC headquarters failed to recognize the COVID outbreak. The report found that some veterans have roommates and share toilet and shower facilities. Armstrong Teasdale recommends that veterans reside in private rooms with private bathrooms.

Armstrong Teasdale makes dozens of other recommendations, including calling on MVC headquarters and veterans homes to develop a comprehensive COVID-19 outbreak plan.

Meantime, the governor and State Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) director also focused their attention on the COVID vaccine, during the press conference.

DHSS Director Dr. Randall Williams hopes every Missourian considers getting the COVID vaccine. He says the FDA has been examining drug and vaccine safety for more than 100 years.

“We very much think this is safe and, as the governor said, effective for people with COVID,” says Dr. Williams.

Dr. Williams says 90 percent of people who get the COVID vaccine will have no side effects. He says less than ten percent will have mild side effects, more likely to occur after the second vaccine.

Dr. Williams says those side effects usually go away in a day.

“And they consist of, primarily, fatigue, in about four percent. You’ll feel a little bit tired that day. Headaches, about two percent. And about one percent will have some muscle pain right here in what we call myalgia, muscle aches all over,” Dr. Williams says.

Dr. Williams says one percent “will have a little bit of a chill.”

Pending FDA approval, Missouri could receive its first shipment of about 105,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine next week.

More than 1,000 Missouri frontline health care workers have already received the vaccine.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Filed Under: Business, Health / Medicine, Military, News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Armstrong Teasdale, Cameron, Cape Girardeau, COVID deaths in Missouri veterans homes, COVID vaccine, COVID-19 outbreak plan, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Dr. Randall Williams, Missouri Governor Mike Parson, Missouri Veterans Commission, Moderna, side effects from vaccine

Veterans Commission says homes need transformation: “We have to assume we’ll be hit like this again

December 16, 2020 By Ashley Byrd

The chairman of the Missouri Veterans Commission has met and held town halls with the staff of its seven homes and headquarters in the aftermath of a report critical of leadership’s lack of planning and policy. According to the commission website, Chairman Tim Noonan reviewed the root cause and corrective actions from the report and received candid and constructive feedback.   Noonan also said they discussed plans on how to move forward as an organization to provide the best care for veterans.

MVC Chairman Tim Noonan addressed commissioners and investigators via video conference

The volunteer members of the Missouri Veterans Commission last week heard in person (virtually) the details of a 53-page investigation into the handling of a COVID-19 outbreak in its long-term care facilities. The report by national law firm Armstrong Teasdale was ordered by Governor Mike Parson in October after a September spike in virus-related deaths at some of its veterans homes. At least 145 veterans have died in the homes since September.

In the December 11 video conference, Armstrong Teasdale’s principal investigators presented their recommendations, as outlined in their report.

“The key to those recommendations is that MVC focus on planning,” summarized attorney Ida Shafaie. “And make sure the staff is trained to a standard and they understand what needs to be done. We see this as very important, not just as MVC approaches COVID and how they handle the rest of this pandemic, but it’s important because none of us knows what the next pandemic going to look like and we don’t know what COVID’s going to look like in the future, so it’s important that MVC use the time and knowledge they have now to develop these protocols so that the next time an infectious disease, unfortunately, rears its ugly head MVC and their staff are prepared on what they need to do.”

Noonan was the only commissioner to speak at the video conference. Executive Director Col. Paul Kirchhoff did not speak.

Noonan said the report “is tough but it’s fair.”

“We’ve already started implementing a number of these recommendations,” he said. “We’ve started our COVID reset.”

United States Senator Josh Hawley, who serves on the Armed Services Committee, has called for changes at the commission since the report’s release.

Noonan responded, “Yes, we need change but more importantly we need transformation. We need to realize we need to take care of our front line in a new and different way.”

Noonan says every long-term care facility is facing a shortage of CNA’s and the commission must be competitive in pay. “We’ve got to think and be innovative about how we run our homes and realize that the competition is all around us for talent and for serving our veterans,” he said.

The commission gets revenue from various unrelated programs around the state, including riverboat casinos and the new state medical marijuana program. Noonan said, “”We also have to ensure that the monies that are due to the Veterans Commission, old sources and new sources, are put to their highest and best use.”

I’m hopeful that this wasn’t a dress rehearsal but we have to view it as one, because we have to assume we’re going to be hit like this again.” Noonan concluded.

 

Filed Under: Health / Medicine, Military, News Tagged With: Armstrong Teasdale, COVID deaths at Missouri veterans homes, Missouri Veterans Commission Chairman Tim Noonan, MVC, Sen. Josh Hawley

Armstrong Teasdale: Missouri veterans homes should undergo a COVID-19 reset (AUDIO)

December 3, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

An independent investigation into the recent COVID-19 deaths at Missouri veterans homes has found that the Missouri Veterans Commission (MVC) headquarters failed to recognize the outbreak.

Armstrong Teasdale’s 53-page report says MVC should have recognized the presence of an outbreak in the veterans home in southeast Missouri’s Cape Girardeau by September 2.

MVC Chairman Tim Noonan says a tremendous amount of data was coming in.

“When the data was analyzed, there should have been a faster response to really recognize that the outbreak was growing in a way that ran faster than the protocols that we had in place,” Noonan says.

29 veterans have died from COVID at the Cape Girardeau veterans home since September 1, and there have been 34 deaths at the home in northwest Missouri’s Cameron. There have been 138 deaths at veterans homes statewide since September.

Armstrong Teasdale’s report also found a failure on the part of MVC headquarters to respond to the outbreak. Armstrong Teasdale’s report says MVC headquarters “was lulled into a false sense of security and failed to capitalize on its early successes” in the spring.

“The Veterans Commission should have anticipated an inevitability that the virus would get in (to the veterans homes), and if it did get in, how fast it could spread,” says Noonan.

Noonan tells Missourinet that this was a complex problem that overwhelmed very well-intended people.

The report notes that COVID cases among veterans at the homes jumped from two in August to 173 in September. Staff cases increased from eight in August to 74 in September.

Armstrong Teasdale’s report makes dozens of recommendations, including calling on MVC headquarters and veterans homes to develop a comprehensive COVID-19 outbreak plan.

The report notes that some veterans have roommates and share toilet and shower facilities. Armstrong Teasdale recommends that veterans reside in private rooms with private bathrooms, “to the extent possible.”

Armstrong Teasdale is also recommending that all Missouri veterans homes undergo a “COVID-19 reset,” meaning fundamental education regarding COVID and how to prevent its spread.

They also recommend that MVC consider retaining an occupational health nurse on headquarters staff, through the end of the pandemic. Another recommendation is making sure that veterans in the homes receive priority, when a safe vaccine becomes available.

Chairman Noonan is reviewing the recommendations closely.

“We’re going to take them all (recommendations) seriously and implement the ones that we think are going to have an impact,” Noonan says. “And definitely, staffing matters. Having the right talent, doing the right job matters.”

Noonan says MVC will drive the reforms that are needed. He also praises MVC staff, including its nurses and CNA’s, saying they have been working hard during the pandemic.

Noonan praises Armstrong Teasdale’s investigators as well, noting they are veterans.

He says MVC’s job as leaders and managers must be to anticipate problems, just not fix them. He says the commission can do better in anticipating problems, in communicating and in making sure the staff has the resources that they need.

Another section of the report highlights the emotional toll the pandemic has taken on veterans living in Missouri veterans homes. Veterans currently cannot see family members, due to COVID concerns.

The report recommends that the homes establish a protocol to allow a limited number of designated family members to visit their loves one, saying it will provide veterans the contact they desperately need and will provide staff some relief.

“Some of the many ways in which family members are instrumental in their loved ones’ care include feeding or coaxing to eat, cleaning ears to help them hear better, helping them shower, providing passive range of motion, getting them out of bed, helping them turn in bed to prevent bedsores, trimming their eyebrows, brushing their teeth, dressing them and communicating with the medical team,” Armstrong Teasdale’s report reads, in part.

The report also says that it’s clear that MVC headquarters and homes staff genuinely care for the veterans. One family member told an investigator “They treated him (her veteran family member) like a hero.”

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s interview (11:25) with Missouri Veterans Commission (MVC) Chairman Tim Noonan, which was recorded on December 2, 2020:

https://cdn.missourinet.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/bh-noonaninterview.mp3

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Filed Under: Health / Medicine, Military, News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Armstrong Teasdale, Cameron, Cape Girardeau, COVID vaccine, COVID-19 deaths at Missouri veterans homes, COVID-19 outbreak plan, family members of veterans, Missouri Veterans Commission, Missouri Veterans Commission Chairman Tim Noonan, occupational health nurse

Missouri Veteran’s Homes COVID-19 deadly outbreak showed failures of leadership, planning and response, says scathing report

December 3, 2020 By Ashley Byrd

An independent study of the deadly COVID-19 outbreak at Missouri Veterans Homes finds that “the MVC Headquarters and Home staff genuinely care for the Veterans, three major lapses contributed to the COVID-19 outbreak in the Homes this fall: (1) failure to recognize and appreciate the problem at the first sign of an outbreak; (2) failure to plan for the outbreak; and (3) failure to properly respond to the outbreak. The investigation also exposed the unintended negative consequences of isolation due to the restrictive measures intended to protect Veterans.”

Governor Mike Parson called for an outside investigation after a sudden increase in cases and deaths at state-run veterans homes.

This summary of a scathing report from corporate law firm Armstrong Teasdale acknowledged that the Missouri Veteran’s Commission took proactive and effective steps in March to protecting its seven homes from the virus, community spread surged, and “Unfortunately, MVC Headquarters was lulled into a false sense of security and failed to capitalize on its early successes.”

READ FULL REPORT: COVID-19 OUTBREAK at the MISSOURI VETERANS HOMES – Summary of the Independent Investigation Conducted for the MVC _ Armstrong Teasdale LLP

The report finds three critical areas where the commission fell short:

(Direct excerpts from the full report)

A. Failure to Recognize the Outbreak

MVC Headquarters failed to recognize and appreciate the impact of even one positive case of COVID-19, despite a number of experts, like the Missouri State Epidemiologist and the Missouri Medicaid Director, defining a COVID-19 outbreak in a residential setting as a single positive case. This meant that MVC leadership did not change tactics to aggressively contain the first positive
cases, nor did they reach out to external partners for assistance. Instead, they treated the initial cases as something that could be overcome using the same directives, policies, and internal resources that had been employed prior to the positive case.

This lack of understanding was not due to a lack of information. Homes staff provided data to Headquarters via reports, calls, and meetings on an ongoing, nearly real-time basis. MVC
Headquarters simply lacked the ability to engage in meaningful analysis of this data. They should have recognized the presence of a COVID-19 outbreak in the Cape Girardeau Home by September 2, 2020 (when the Home reported a jump from one positive Veteran to three positive Veterans within a 72 hour period, and a jump from five positive staff members to seven positive staff members within a two week period), but even as cases increased, MVC Headquarters failed to appreciate the need to move quickly to isolate positive patients. This also impacted their
communication with external stakeholders, in that MVC Headquarters did not identify specific issues or concerns related to the outbreak. For example, in weekly briefings to DPS, the MVC
provided little data about the outbreak, other than its impact on staffing vacancies—missing a critical opportunity early on to engage outside agencies and resources.

B. Failure to Plan for an Extensive Outbreak

While the novelty of COVID-19 makes long-term strategic planning difficult, MVC Headquarters demonstrated an absence of leadership in failing to appropriately plan for a severe and
prolonged COVID-19 outbreak. Headquarters should have known by the beginning of summer 2020—well before the fall outbreak—that COVID-19 spreads covertly through asymptomatic
carriers and is difficult to control in a residential setting like a nursing home. But despite several months to prepare for a predicted fall surge in COVID-19 cases, MVC Headquarters did not
develop any comprehensive outbreak plan. As a result, they did not have an opportunity to vet the plan with outside agencies or other long-term care facilities, or test the plan to identify areas of
needed improvement. The lack of a comprehensive outbreak plan led to confusion and inefficiencies, and it almost certainly contributed to the inability to contain the spread of COVID-19
once it was introduced into the Homes.

As early as February 2020, MVC Headquarters could have relied on publicly-available guidelines, templates, and checklists published by the CDC. They also could have looked to open
source material regarding outbreaks that had already occurred in congregate care settings in other parts of the country, including in Missouri. The investigation revealed that around March and April, MVC Headquarters studied and learned from an outbreak in Kirkland, Washington, but they did not study any additional outbreaks, even as occurrences multiplied across the country. No one at MVC Headquarters took the initiative to gather this information and develop a comprehensive plan. MVC Headquarters did provide some guidance to the Homes in the form of directives, but these directives were reactionary, haphazard, and often conflicted with each other. The directives addressed only discrete aspects of care and COVID-19 management and in some instances were inconsistent with CDC and VA guidelines or infection control best practices. They were also issued frequently, with little insight as to how staff might learn of or implement them. Staff found it difficult to keep up with the constant updates and changes, and most did not have access to any compilation of the directives they were supposed to be following. The lack of policies and
frequently-changing directives made it difficult to educate, let alone train staff in how they should provide hands-on care and services in the Homes.

This lack of preparation was compounded by the fact that the MVC did not have a current, comprehensive manual for infection prevention policy and procedure generally. An infection prevention policy and procedure manual is required by VA and CDC guidelines. This manual would have included an outbreak management plan or emergency management plan for infections generally, and it would have provided the Homes baseline guidance regarding isolation, quarantine, and universal precautions. While the MVC developed a general pandemic plan in March, there was no evidence that this plan was updated, reviewed, used, or tailored for use during the COVID-19 pandemic. The MVC should have prepared and printed a comprehensive COVID-19 plan and made multiple copies accessible to staff in each Home.

C. Failure to Respond to the Outbreak

Without an appreciation for the problem or a comprehensive plan in place, the MVC’s response to the outbreak was inadequate. In particular, the Homes had significant issues related to
testing, cross-contamination, and staffing. The timing of test results facilitated the spread of COVID-19. In August 2020, the Homes implemented routine nasopharyngeal PCR testing of all Veterans and staff twice a week. PCR tests take anywhere from 24 to 48 hours to process. This is significant because approximately sixty percent of individuals who are COVID-19 positive are either pre-or asymptomatic at the time they are tested. This meant that while awaiting test results, infectious staff and Veterans interacted with one another, some without any personal protective equipment (“PPE”). Asymptomatic Veterans and some symptomatic Veterans were not quarantined pending the results and moved freely among the Homes, dined together, interacted with each other, and remained lodged with their roommates.

In addition to testing issues, improper quarantine and isolation procedures contributed to the spread and cross-contamination of COVID-19 within the Homes. Initially, most of the isolation
and quarantine spaces only had between one and four beds, and little consideration had been given to how expansion would occur if or when necessary. Neither MVC Headquarters nor the Homes’ administrative leadership were prepared for the rapid spread of the virus, and at least one isolation scarce quarantine and isolation beds, and sometimes led to the hectic co-mingling of COVID-19 positive Veterans with otherwise uninfected Veterans. A delay in closing common spaces also contributed to cross-contamination and the spread of COVID-19 within the Homes. In the early days of the outbreak, Veterans were allowed to move freely about the Homes. Many did so without wearing masks, even while exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms.

In many Homes, staff movement has contributed to cross-contamination. At the onset of the outbreak, staff typically were not assigned to work on a dedicated unit, but rotated across all
units. In two Homes, surges of cases were tied to COVID-19 positive staff who had moved throughout the entire facility. While the Homes are now trying to dedicate staff to one particular
unit, staffing shortages have climbed, it is particularly difficult to assign dietary and environmental services staff to a dedicated unit, and many staff continue to serve multiple roles in the Homes.
These staffing shortages could have been prevented, or at least mitigated. Prior to the outbreak, MVC Headquarters failed to make a contingency plan to address potential staffing shortages, and it waited to coordinate with the VA until the Homes were in the midst of the current staffing crisis. Currently, the VA and personnel from The Missouri Disaster Medical Assistance Team (“DMAT”)
are providing additional staffing as needed.

However, staff morale is low, and many are overwhelmed by the emotional toll of caring for COVID-19 affected Veterans, the negative media attention, and the added demands of COVID-19
protocols—especially when many of them live in Missouri communities where mask mandates and social distancing are not enforced. The Homes need to provide education about practicing COVID19 prevention measures when staff are in their own homes and communities, as well as develop consistent policies regarding when staff who have been exposed to COVID-19 may return to work.

Staff should feel empowered to collaborate with Headquarters in the development of policies and procedures.

The investigation also identified inconsistencies in the use of PPE and in the initial screening process, which may have contributed to cross-contamination.
Finally, although the frequency of cleaning the Homes increased after the outbreak, disinfectant products were not being used according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Specifically, staff was only letting the products sit for 1 minute, when the products must sit for 10 minutes to be effective against viruses, including COVID-19. Thus, while the Homes were clean,
they were not disinfected.

Filed Under: Health / Medicine, Military, News Tagged With: Armstrong Teasdale, COVID deaths at Missouri veterans homes, Gov. Mike Parson, Missouri Veterans Commission

Kehoe: initial report about COVID deaths in Missouri veterans homes mentions air flow systems (AUDIO)

November 5, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The lieutenant governor says the Missouri Veterans Commission (MVC) has released an initial report about the increasing number of COVID deaths in Missouri veterans homes, since September.

Governor Mike Parson addresses the Missouri Legislature in 2019, as Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe listens (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe (R) tells Missourinet that the initial report was issued a few days ago, and that some of the MVC’s recommendations are financial.

“In some of these homes that are suffering, the air flow systems in some of these (veterans) homes contribute to viruses spreading, not just the coronavirus but other potential viruses, so trying to get these positive-negative air flow systems figured out in the homes will be the bigger challenge,” Kehoe says.

The MVC says 87 veterans living in state veterans homes have died from COVID, since September 1. That includes 12 deaths in the past 12 days at the home in northwest Missouri’s Cameron.

“They’ve (MVC) come up with a list of some short-term things we can implement immediately, and I know the (Veterans) Commission and the Veterans administration is working on that as we speak,” says Kehoe.

Lt. Governor Kehoe says the top priority for both he and the governor is protecting veterans living in state veterans homes. Kehoe emphasizes that the state’s veterans homes suffer some of the same challenges that other long-term care facilities do.

“It’s a vulnerable population,” Kehoe says. “You have employees and vendors in those homes that actually go out and maybe have another job, or go out to their families and could contract the virus and bring it back in.”

Kehoe says the MVC is working to implement procedures to stop any leaks like that. The state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) says 75 percent of Missouri’s COVID deaths happen in nursing homes.

MVC says Cape Girardeau’s state veterans home has had the highest number of deaths since September, with 29. Cameron is second with 22. There have been 19 deaths at the St. James facility, nine at Mount Vernon, seven in Warrensburg and one in Mexico.

MVC spokesman Jamie Melchert says all of MVC’s veterans homes are following best practices for fighting COVID, as prescribed by the CDC and the state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS). He says that includes daily testing, using PCR and antigen testing. It also includes proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE), cleaning and disinfecting and enhanced training in those areas.

Melchert says infection control inspections and additional infection control training procedures are in place at all facilities.

He also says Armstrong Teasdale’s external review is continuing, noting they’re conducting interviews at all seven homes and at the commission’s Jefferson City headquarters.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with Missouri Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe, which was recorded on November 3, 2020 in Jefferson City:

https://cdn.missourinet.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/bh-kehoeinterview.mp3

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Filed Under: Health / Medicine, Military, News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: air flow systems, Armstrong Teasdale, Cameron, Cape Girardeau, COVID deaths at Missouri veterans homes, Mexico, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Missouri Governor Mike Parson, Missouri Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe, Missouri Veterans Commission, Mount Vernon, St. James, Warrensburg

MVC: 12 more COVID deaths at veterans home in northern Missouri’s Cameron

November 3, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

12 more veterans have died from COVID at the state veterans home in northwest Missouri’s Cameron.

Missouri Capitol

The Missouri Veterans Commission (MVC) says 12 more veterans have died at the Cameron home in the past ten days, bringing the total number of COVID deaths there to 22, since September 1.

MVC spokesman Jamie Melchert tells Missourinet that a total of 87 veterans living in state veterans homes have died from COVID since September 1. Cape Girardeau has the highest number of deaths, with 29. Cameron is second with 22. There have been 19 deaths at the St. James facility, nine at Mount Vernon, seven in Warrensburg and one in Mexico.

Melchert says all of MVC’s veterans homes are following best practices for fighting COVID, as prescribed by the CDC and the state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS). He says that includes daily testing, using PCR and antigen testing. It also includes proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE), cleaning and disinfecting and enhanced training in those areas.

Melchert says infection control inspections and additional infection control training procedures are in place at all facilities.

He also says Armstrong Teasdale’s external review is continuing, noting they’re conducting interviews at all seven homes and at the commission’s Jefferson City headquarters.

MVC says it’s also utilizing staffing from the Missouri Disaster Medical Assistance Team, which is deployed to provide Missourians the medical care they need immediately.

U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill, has emphasized to Missourinet that it’s important to get to the bottom of this. He has said that if changes need to be made, they should be made as quickly as possible.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Filed Under: Health / Medicine, Military, News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Armstrong Teasdale, Cameron, Cape Girardeau, COVID, Mexico, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Missouri Disaster Medical Assistance Team, Missouri Governor Mike Parson, Missouri Veterans Commission, Mount Vernon, PPE, St. James, U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, Warrensburg

Hawley disturbed by COVID-19 deaths at Missouri veterans homes; MO DMAT-1 team now deployed (AUDIO/VIDEO)

October 26, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

A Missouri senator who serves on the Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill is closely tracking the increasing number of COVID-19 deaths at state veterans homes.

Missouri Senator Josh Hawley (2020 file photo courtesy of Senator Hawley’s office)

The Missouri Veterans Commission (MVC) says four more veterans died last week, bringing the total number of deaths at the homes to 71, since September 1. U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R) tells Missourinet that to lose anyone to COVID is a tragedy, and to lose 71 veterans in veterans homes is disturbing.

“It’s very, very concerning and I’m glad that the governor has taken this action to order a review, an investigation, and I look forward to the results of that,” Hawley says.

The MVC says three of the new deaths happened at the home in northwest Missouri’s Cameron, where 34 veterans currently have COVID. MVC says ten Cameron staff members are in isolation in their homes, and another 20 staff members there have recovered.

MVC confirms it’s now utilizing medical staffing from the Missouri Disaster Medical Assistance Team (MO DMAT-1), which is deployed to provide Missourians the medical care they need immediately.

As for Senator Hawley, he emphasizes it’s important to get to the bottom of this.

“I look forward to action being taken to make sure that the standards of care are at the highest possible level. We owe that to our veterans,” says Hawley.

He also says that if changes need to be made, they should be made as quickly as possible.

MVC says there are now 12 veterans with active cases at the veterans homes in southern Missouri’s Mount Vernon and St. James. At Mount Vernon, six staff members are in isolation in their homes, and 21 staff members have recovered. At the St. James facility, four staff members are in isolation at home, and 18 staff members have recovered.

The veterans home in southeast Missouri’s Cape Girardeau has had the largest number of deaths since September 1, with 29. MVC says 44 Cape Girardeau staff members have recovered.

MVC spokesman Jamie Melchert says the MVC’s veterans homes are following best practices for battling COVID, including using daily testing using PCR and antigen testing. He says MVC is also focusing on enhanced personal protective equipment (PPE) training, as well as cleaning and disinfecting. Central office leadership from Jefferson City is also providing some additional supervision.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson tells Missourinet that he acted immediately when he learned about the spike in deaths at veterans homes, ordering an external review. The governor has said that the box-in strategy is being used, which involves testing, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine.

Mr. Melchert notes MVC commissioners selected St. Louis-based Armstrong Teasdale as the outside firm undertaking the external review of the Veterans Commission. He says Armstrong Teasdale is conducting staff interviews at the homes, and that no findings have been made available, at this time.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Filed Under: Health / Medicine, Military, News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Armstrong Teasdale, Cameron, Cape Girardeau, COVID-19, Missouri Disaster Medical Assistance Team, Missouri Governor Mike Parson, Missouri Veterans Commission, Missouri Veterans Homes, Mount Vernon, St. James, U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee

Cody Smith: Amount of supplemental budget for Missouri special session has not been determined

October 22, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Saying that there is still CARES Act funding that needs to be distributed to Missourians, Governor Mike Parson has called a special session on a supplemental budget bill that will start on November 5. The governor announced the special session call, during Wednesday’s briefing with Capitol reporters in Jefferson City.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson speaks at Truman Medical Center in Kansas City on October 15, 2020 (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

“The supplemental budget contains funding for several items, including school nutrition service programs, job training grants, emergency solutions grant program for the homeless prevention,” Parson says.

The governor says the supplemental budget will also include funding for a domestic violence grant and child support payments.

“We look forward to working with the General Assembly to make sure these funds are distributed across Missouri as soon as possible,” says Parson.

Governor Parson says he’s spoken to legislative leaders in both chambers, about the special session. Both House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, and Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, say they’ve spoken to the governor about the special session.

House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, told Missourinet Wednesday evening that the amount of the supplemental budget has yet to be determined.

The governor says since the Legislature approved the $35 billion state operating budget in May, additional CARES Act funding has been made available to the state. Parson says the funding will provide additional resources to respond to COVID-19.

Click here to read Governor Parson’s special session call.

Meantime, Governor Parson says he’s disappointed about the news that 11 more veterans living in state veterans homes have died from COVID-19 in the past week. The governor reiterates to Missourinet that he acted immediately when he learned about the spike in deaths at veterans homes, ordering an external review.

“We definitely are continuing to put a stop to the spread of that COVID-19 in those veterans homes, and we’re aware of that situation. There was an investigation that was looking into that, and is looking into that,” Parson says.

The Missouri Veterans Commission (MVC) says 67 veterans at veterans homes have died due to COVID since September 1, with 29 of those deaths at the Cape Girardeau home. St. Louis-based Armstrong Teasdale is conducting the investigation, and is doing staff interviews at the homes.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Filed Under: Health / Medicine, Legislature, Military, News Tagged With: Armstrong Teasdale, CARES Act funding, Carthage, COVID-19, domestic violence grant, homeless prevention, House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, House Speaker Elijah Haahr, Missouri Governor Mike Parson, Missouri Veterans Commission, Missouri Veterans Homes, November special session, school nutrition, Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz

67 veterans at Missouri veterans homes have died from COVID-19 since September 1

October 21, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Another 11 veterans living in Missouri veterans homes have died due to COVID-19 in the past week, bringing the total number of deaths to 67 since September 1.

Missourinet followed-up Tuesday with the Missouri Veterans Commission (MVC), on the number of deaths since September, broken down by facility. The Missouri Veterans Commission reports 29 of the 67 deaths have been veterans living at the Cape Girardeau Veterans home. That’s in southeast Missouri. 15 veterans at the St. James home in southern Missouri have died.

The MVC reports nine deaths since September 1, at the Mount Vernon Veterans Home in southwest Missouri. There have been seven deaths each at the Cameron Veterans Home in northwest Missouri, and the Warrensburg home in western Missouri.

In response to questions from Missourinet on why the deaths have happened and if anything has changed at veterans homes, an MVC spokesman says they work with local county health departments to undertake contact tracing, adding that specific health information is not releasable under HIPPA provisions.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson told Capitol reporters last week that he acted immediately when he learned about the spike in deaths at veterans homes, ordering an external review. The governor says the box-in strategy is being used, which involves testing, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine.

MVC spokesman Jamie Melchert notes MVC commissioners selected St. Louis-based Armstrong Teasdale as the outside firm undertaking the external review of the Veterans Commission. He says the staff was informed of the selection on October 12, and the investigation is underway, with staff interviews at the homes. Melchert says no results are available, at this time.

Melchert also says outside visits are allowed at facilities that are COVID-free, such as the Mexico and St. Louis Veterans Homes.

The MVC website notes the Missouri veterans homes manage about 1,240 beds that provide long term skilled nursing care, in compliance with federal Department of Veterans Affairs regulations.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Filed Under: Health / Medicine, Military, News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Armstrong Teasdale, Cameron, Cape Girardeau, COVID-19, Mexico, Missouri Governor Mike Parson, Missouri Veterans Commission, Mount Vernon, St. James, St. Louis, veterans homes, Warrensburg



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