State Monitors Requested For 2 Cherry Hill Nursing Homes

CHERRY HILL, NJ — Camden County officials have asked the state to for help to monitor five nursing homes in the county that have had particular trouble during the outbreak of new coronavirus, including two in Cherry Hill.

Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli Jr. has submitted a request directly to Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli, in concert with his municipal partners where these facilities reside, asking for direct assistance from the nursing home regulatory body, county officials announced on Friday.

Those nursing homes include Avista Healthcare and Premier Cadbury in Cherry Hill, as well as Genesis Voorhees Center and Lions Gate in Voorhees and the United Methodist Communities at Collingswood.

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“As we watched this pandemic evolve, it was immediately evident that many long-term care facilities were unprepared to face the challenge that was presented and to ensure the safety of their residents and staff,” Cappelli said. “Based on the reporting from our community we started taking on the task of inspecting these operations, and we found a variety of issues including flawed infection control procedures, a severe shortage of PPE, and staffing shortages.”

“We have been horrified by the loss of life in these facilities and keep the families in our thoughts and prayers,” Cherry Hill Mayor Susan Shin Angulo said. “I want to thank the county for stepping into the regulatory void and I’m looking forward to the state coming into these two Cherry Hill facilities and making a significant impact to save lives.”

Together, the five nursing homes have had a significant number of coronavirus cases and 75 deaths, as of May 5. The county has worked with the leadership in each town to set up the monitoring.

The state databases shows the breakdown as follows, although the numbers might not line up with what the county has due to inconsistencies in reporting:

• Avista Healthcare: 66 cases, 6 deaths
• Premier Cadbury: 85 cases, 19 deaths
• Genesis: 159 cases, 26 deaths
• Lions Gate: 70 cases, 11 deaths
• United Methodist Communities: 42 cases, 10 deaths

The move comes a month after Camden County put in place a plan to stem the number of cases and fatalities that were prevalent at 27 of the county’s 56 long-term care centers. After a month, five of the centers were still experiencing problems. Each home will now have a state monitor to assess the situation.

See related: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know