Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Superintendent Of Soldiers' Home In Massachusetts Denies He Kept Officials In Dark About Spread Of Infection, Death Toll
Boston Globe: Suspended Superintendent Of Holyoke Soldiers’ Home Defends Handling Of Deadly Outbreak
The lawyer for Bennett Walsh, the suspended superintendent of the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, where 76 residents have died in the state’s largest coronavirus cluster, released documents Tuesday that appear to show he provided state officials daily updates as the outbreak spread in late March, contradicting the account of Governor Charlie Baker’s administration. William Bennett spoke on Walsh’s behalf two months after the first coronavirus death at the state-run facility and released e-mails that bolstered Walsh’s previous claim that state and local officials were given frequent updates about the severity of the outbreak and the need for outside help. Those officials have said they were kept in the dark as infections raced through the facility and the death toll climbed. (Krueger, 5/26)
ABC News: Suspended Superintendent At Holyoke Soldiers' Home Did Not Keep Officials In The Dark, Attorney Says
The superintendent of the Soldiers' Home in Holyoke, Massachusetts, a state-run facility where more than 90 veteran residents have died in the coronavirus pandemic, did not keep anyone "in the dark" about the growing crisis inside, according to his attorney. Attorney William Bennett repeatedly insisted on Tuesday that suspended Superintendent Bennett Walsh took several steps to notify state and local officials about the growing rate of COVID-19 infections among veterans. But Bennett said Walsh's requests for medical assistance for the facility were denied. (Mitropoulos and Torres, 5/26)
New England Public Radio: Releasing Texts And Emails, Suspended Soldiers' Home Boss Denies Cover-Up
The attorney for suspended Holyoke Soldiers' Home Superintendent Bennett Walsh has released 19 documents that he claims proves his client did not try to cover up a deadly COVID-19 outbreak. Seventy-six veterans who were residents at the state-run facility have died while testing positive for the virus. The texts and emails indicate Walsh communicated with his superiors and others about the outbreak for the week prior to his being placed on leave. Some officials, including Gov. Charlie Baker, have said they were taken by surprise about the severity of the situation, and moved swiftly to bring in new leadership at the Soldiers' Home. (Frenier, 5/26)
Boston Globe: Prolonged Isolation Taking A Toll On Residents Of Nursing Homes
More than two months after state and federal officials restricted visits at long-term care facilities to protect patients from the coronavirus, Thresher has avoided infection and survived one of the deadliest known COVID-19 outbreaks at a long-term care facility in the United States. But whether he survives months in lockdown, cut off from his loved ones, remains unclear. (Crimaldi and Krantz, 5/26)
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Nursing Home Residents Warned About Coronavirus Relief Funds
Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford is warning families to be cautious amid reports of nursing homes attempting to take coronavirus relief payments from their residents. Nursing homes cannot legally require residents on Medicaid to sign over their relief payments, according to a news release from the attorney general’s office. Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, the checks are designated as tax credits that cannot be taken for federal benefits programs, such as Medicaid. (Bradford, 5/26)
