Massachusetts Nursing Home Nurse Who Publicly Criticized Her Facility Over COVID-19 Outbreak Deficiencies Dies from the Disease
A Massachusetts nurse recently died from COVID-19 and is being heralded as a courageous whistleblower. She raised a red flag when she notified news media about her concerns that the nursing home where she was employed was negligent and unprepared to deal with an infectious disease and was contributing to the spread of the coronavirus. Shortly after issuing her concerns, the nurse contracted COVID-19.
As of Friday, April 10, ten of the facility’s residents had died of COVID-19 and 67 other residents tested positive for the coronavirus. Some of those are being treated in local hospitals.
The facility employs 204 people, and of that number 14 have tested positive for the virus and another 17 are not working due to doctor’s orders. Another 75 are reported by the company to be out sick.
The facility is seeking to have all employees tested; however, testing has been limited and only the most vulnerable residents were being tested. A company official reported that with the help of the Massachusetts National Guard, all residents have been tested.
Local town officials have also accused the facility of not complying with COVID-19 infection control protocols, and expressed their concern in a letter to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Health Care Safety and Quality. They said that the facility had been uncooperative with health agents. In that letter, officials claim that when health officials tried to identify close contacts of the person who first tested positive, investigators were “stonewalled” by the facility’s administration.
Compliance Perspective
Failure to be prepared to respond to an infectious disease outbreak like the coronavirus and failure to cooperate fully with healthcare officials may result in the facility being accused of negligence and the provision of substandard quality of care contrary to state and federal regulations.
Discussion Points:
- Review policies and procedures regarding the development and implementation of an Infection Prevention and Control Program.
- Train staff members about using the protocols of the Infection Prevention and Control program with the guidelines issued by CMS for dealing specifically with the COVID-19 crisis. Training should include proper use of PPE and the separation of infected residents and their care givers from other residents and staff.
- Periodically audit to ensure that staff are using and disposing of PPE properly, and that the separation of residents with COVID-19 and their caregivers is being observed.
