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Veterans Commission homes continue to fight coronavirus, 109 veterans dead since Sept. 1

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St. Louis Veterans Home

The Missouri Veterans Commission’s Veterans Homes continue to fight COVID-19, and according to spokesman Jamie Melchert, they are continuing daily testing using PCR and antigen testing; training on the proper use of PPE and enhanced PPE; cleaning and disinfecting and enhanced training in these areas; infection control inspections and additional training; additional supervision, including from central office leadership.  The commission’s homes are also using medical staffing from the VA and Missouri Disaster Medical Assistance Team (MO DMAT-1).

Nursing homes in the Midwest have seen dramatic increases in cases and deaths in past two weeks.

 

 

A total of 109 veterans in seven MVC homes have died due to COVID-19 from September through Nov. 18, as nursing homes across the Midwest have seen dramatic increases in cases and deaths in the past two weeks. About two-thirds of the COVID-19 deaths in Missouri’s nursing homes have happened in the same time frame. The St. Louis Post reported that as of Nov. 8, the virus has killed 1,680 residents, 263 more than just the previous two weeks.

Armstrong Teasdale corporate law firm began conducting an independent investigation of Missouri’s Veterans Homes on Oct. 12, at the request of Governor Mike Parson.  A final report has not been released, but according to Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, who oversees the commission, air flow systems were part of the challenge.

Kehoe emphasized 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 said. “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.”

Veteran deaths by facility between Sept. 1 and Nov. 18, 2020:

  • Cameron 37
  • Cape Girardeau 29
  • Mexico 5
  • Mt. Vernon 9
  • St. James 22
  • St. Louis 1
  • Warrensburg 7

 

 

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

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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:

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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Governor Parson says box-in strategy is being used at Missouri veterans homes

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Missouri’s governor says he acted immediately when he learned about the spike in COVID-19 deaths at veterans homes, ordering an external review.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson briefs Capitol reporters in Jefferson City on October 15, 2020 (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

Governor Mike Parson made his comments during a Thursday press conference at the Statehouse in Jefferson City, in response to questions from Missourinet. He says the state was leading the nation in the way we were taking care of veterans in the veterans homes. He says they noticed a high spike in a few veterans homes, which raised red flags.

“We immediately, once we found that information out, we reached out to the (Missouri) Veterans Commission. We asked for an investigation. That investigation is taking place, or has taken place,” Parson says.

The Missouri Veterans Commission says 56 veterans have died from COVID in Missouri, since September 1. Veterans Commission spokesman Jamie Melchert told Missourinet this week that the veterans home in southeast Missouri’s Cape Girardeau has had the most deaths: 25. Melchert says 13 veterans from the Mount Vernon Veterans Home have died, and 12 from the St. James Veterans Home.

“We immediately sent in our box-in strategy,” says Governor Parson. “We put testing supplies in the veterans (homes) to a tune of about 3,000 that are out there now, trying to really take care of that situation. But it was unfortunate that it happened, it was definitely a red flag, the way it happened.”

White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx has praised Missouri’s “box-in” strategy. The “box-in” testing strategy involves testing, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine.

The Veterans Commission has obtained additional staffing and resources from the federal government, to assist the Cape Girardeau and St. James homes.

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After deaths, Parson orders review of COVID-19 procedures within Missouri Veterans Homes

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Gov. Mike Parson is ordering an external review of Missouri’s seven Veterans Homes to determine if their efforts go far enough to combat COVID-19. The move follows a briefing Thursday with the governor that he says “raised concerns” about how well the homes are uniformly and systematically operating to prevent and, if necessary, contain COVID-19 outbreaks.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson briefs Capitol reporters in Jefferson City on July 27, 2020 (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

“We are deeply saddened by the news of the deaths in four of our Missouri Veterans Homes,” says Parson in a press release. “As a veteran myself, I care a great deal about the quality of care our veterans receive at the Veterans Homes in our state and have raised an alarm bell more than once when I felt we as a state weren’t meeting the standard of care I believe they are owed. We have been fighting COVID-19 for over seven months now, and we have learned a lot about how to fight the virus since March. The recent sudden positive case growth among staff and residents in our Veterans Homes, and most importantly, the tragic loss of lives of veterans in our care are, in my opinion, unacceptable.”

The Missouri Veterans Commission (MVC) has provided information showing 155 active cases of COVID-19 currently exist among veterans and employees within the nursing homes.

• Cameron Veterans Home – active COVID-19 cases: 2 veterans (reported Oct. 1); 2 staff members
• Cape Girardeau Veterans Home – active COVID-19 cases: 57 veterans; 12 staff members
• Mexico Veterans Home – active COVID-19 cases: 0 veterans; 0 staff members
• Mt. Vernon Veterans Home – active COVID-19 cases: 27 veterans; 4 staff members
• St. James Veterans Home – active COVID-19 cases: 24 veterans; 9 staff members
• St. Louis Veterans Home – active COVID-19 cases: 0 veterans; 2 staff member
• Warrensburg Veterans Home – active COVID-19 cases: 12 veterans; 4 staff members

Until September, the commission says there had been a total of one death of a resident of a Veterans Home while there was an active COVID-19 case in a home. The one veteran death was at the St. Louis Home in April. For September, the following total deaths were reported at each home indicated while there were known COVID-19 cases among veterans in the home. MVC says the number of deaths that were caused by COVID-19 is not known at this time.

• Cape Girardeau Veterans Home – 21 total deaths reported
• Mt. Vernon Veterans Home – 7 total deaths reported
• St. James Veterans Home – 10 total deaths reported
• Warrensburg Veterans Home – 3 total deaths reported

In a press release from the commission, it says after months of few or no COVID-19 cases among veterans at Missouri’s Veterans Homes, five of the seven homes have reported active veteran cases this past month. Two new veteran cases were reported at one home for the first time Thursday.

Upon the first COVID-19 case being reported in Missouri on March 7, the commission immediately restricted access to visitors, vendors, and volunteers at all the homes. MVC then began training and made infectious disease protocols, including twice daily temperature checks and contact interviews with all employees.

In August, MVC began outdoor visits with family members and loved ones as conditions permitted. All outdoor visits included a screening process and wearing masks.

According to the release, over the last four months, more than 21,000 tests have been conducted among veterans and staff. In some of the homes staff and veterans are tested twice per week.

“From the first day that COVID-19 was detected in Missouri, the Veterans Homes implemented an extensive plan based on best practices to attempt to keep the virus out of our homes and protect our veterans,” MVC Executive Director Paul Kirchhoff says in the press release. “This has included limiting access, setting up quarantine and isolation areas in advance, extensive use of Personal Protective Equipment and increased cleaning and hygiene measures. We are concerned to see the heroes we care for dealing with this disease that is so virulent among the elderly and vulnerable populations.”

The governor has instructed Missouri Veterans Commission Chairman Timothy Noonan to launch a speedy, external to assess their performance and find ways, if any, to improve their management of COVID-19.

According to Parson’s release, the governor has also directed the deployment of the new Abbott BinaxNOW rapid antigen tests to Missouri Veterans Homes. An initial shipment of 2,400 tests was delivered to the MVC headquarters today to be distributed to priority Veterans Homes. The release says the nursing homes will then be supplied with sufficient antigen and PCR tests to support ongoing testing requirements.

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Missouri Veterans Commission unanimously selects new leader

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The Missouri Veterans Commission has a new executive director. Commissioners have unanimously selected Paul Kirchhoff to replace Grace Link, who retired in May.

Missouri Veterans Commission unanimously selects new leader

Kirchhoff, originally from mid Missouri’s California, worked as special assistant to Link prior to his selection. He is also a former director of the Missouri Emergency Response Commission and served 33 years of combined military service with the U.S. Army and the Missouri Army National Guard.

The commission serves more than 458,000 veterans and 1,700 employees in seven veterans homes, five state veterans cemeteries, and the Veterans Services Program.

Kirchhoff says he is taking stock of the health of the organization for its long-term financial viability. He says he wants to find new ways to provide further benefits to veterans.

“There are other opportunities there to partner with other organizations, with the other executive branches, the legislature, that sort of thing as far as moving us forward and finding new benefits and better ways to serve our veterans,” says Kirchhoff.

The commission has 40 veterans service officers (VSOs) who steer veterans toward filing for a variety of VA benefits and Kirchoff says 40 officers is not enough.

“The cost-to-benefit ratio of what it costs to have a veterans service officer and the amount of money that they bring back into the state from those benefits, that’s definitely something that is an opportunity for us,” he says. “It’s a win win – a win for the state and more importantly it’s a win for those veterans,” he says.

Service officers are also available for any follow-up work necessary with the VA to obtain the maximum amount of earned benefits due any eligible veterans and/or dependents. VSOs are knowledgeable in all areas of veterans benefits, including service-connected compensation, non-service connected disability pension, education and training, vocational rehabilitation, burial, and survivor benefits. They can also assist claimants with health care eligibility, VA Home Loan Guaranty, and other veterans benefits, including those offered by the state.

Kirchhoff says staff vacancies at its veterans homes are lower than what they have been in about two years.

“That has to be analyzed and thought through analytically rather than a ‘We just don’t have enough people,’” says Kirchhoff. “I don’t believe that’s the case. I think we just have to make sure that we have them in the right locations and that we continue to recruit quality staff members.”

Kirchhoff has been passed the baton during the COVID-19 era. Since March, the veterans homes have had five people test positive for the virus. One resident, who lived within the St. Louis area home, died from the coronavirus. The rest of the cases are workers.

To fight COVID-19, the veterans homes stopped allowing indoor visitations in March. Kirchhoff says the restrictions now vary among the homes and some have eased rules to allow outdoor visitations.

A minimal number of admissions have also been allowed at the homes since March. The wait list to get into one of the homes has increased since admissions have been limited.

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State representatives look to bolster veterans homes

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Members of the House Appropriations Committee on Public Safety and Corrections are looking for ways to get more money to the state’s veterans homes.

Chairman Chris Kelly (D-Columbia) says over the years, some of the funds that used to go to those homes has been funneled in other directions. “Early the veterans homes didn’t need all the money that was going there so some of it went to early childhood and some of it went to some other programs. Now the problem is our veterans homes are in pretty serious shape both in terms of the need for repair and maintenance and for the ongoing cost of the operations.”

Representative Chris Kelly (left), Representative Galen Higdon (center) and Representative Sheila Solon

Another Committee member, Representative Galen Higdon (R-St. Joseph) says veterans are waiting in line to get into those facilities. “There’s at least over 1800 now in the state and of course it’s compounding as veterans come back.”

Kelly has filed what he’s called the “loose change” bill, that would allow casino patrons to donate a portion of their winnings to the state Veterans Commission. “There’s always some change when you’re ready to check out. You have like $45 and 27 cents or 85 cents or some cents. We’d like the law to say that the customer gets asked, ‘Would you like to donate the portion less than a dollar … to the Missouri Veterans Commission.” Kelly estimates those donations could amount to between $6 and $8 million dollars a year.

Higdon is preparing a bill that includes that idea and another. It would take the money that is found on casino floors and direct it to the Veterans Commission as well. Currently, that money goes into General Revenue.

Higdon says if that money were dropped on the street, a person can report it to law enforcement after 30 days. In a casino, it goes to the state’s General Revenue fund. “I argue that shouldn’t be part of our general revenue anyway. That’s something that belongs to the casinos … it’s on their property.” Higdon says the casinos he’s talked to are alright with the money going to the veterans’ cause, telling him, “We won’t argue that point.”

Another bill filed by Representative Sheila Solon (R-Blue Springs) would double the annual transfer from the Gaming Commission Fund to the Veterans Commission Capital Improvement Trust Fund from $3 million to $6 million and allow for more to be transferred when the remaining gaming fund amount is more than $28 million.

The Committee is scheduled to next meet Wednesday afternoon.