NJ: 'We Can Do Better' In Troubled Nursing Home COVID Crisis

NEW JERSEY - Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday acknowledged that the state "can do better" as New Jersey's troubled nursing homes continue to be the subject of controversy amid the coronavirus crisis.

At the same time, state Department of Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli laid out a detailed timeline that appeared to be a defense of the New Jersey's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in long-term care facilities, though she said it wasn't one.

Murphy said New Jersey is willing to subject itself to further scrutiny in the form of 9/11-style commission and evaluate its controversial response now that deaths in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities have topped 9,000.

Overall, 5,456 residents and 98 staff have died from nursing homes and other long-term care facilities in New Jersey have died.

This week, the Department of Health began reporting lab confirmed deaths and list the number of residents and staff with lab confirmed deaths at 4,502.

"We're doing everything we can to figure out what we can do better," Murphy said.

Murphy's statements came days after a NJ Advance Media report claimed New Jersey failed to react fast enough or take aggressive actions to slow the horrible outbreak in long-term care facilities, where 40 percent of the state's coronavirus deaths have taken place.

Another report from The Record said that the Murphy administration failed to heed warnings about long-term care facilities leaving many overwhelmed.

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Speaking at Gov. Phil Murphy's daily briefing, Persichilli said that her department has been providing guidance and support to long-term care facilities throughout this outbreak, and they stand ready to support them through this epidemic.

Here is timeline she provided, going back to when the state was notified of their first case on March 4:

• On March 6, the Department of Health issues a memo emphasizing to all long-term care facilities the importance of their infection prevention response plans during the epidemic.
• On March 14, visitation was restricted based on information that community spread was placing their residents at risk.
• On March 15, the state was notified of its first outbreak in a long-term care facility.
• On March 22, in response to staffing concerns, waivers were enacted to allow additional staff to long-term care facilities.
• On March 24, with a long-term care facility short-staffed and overwhelmed, the DOH arranged the transfer of 78 residents that Friday evening to "safety in another facility."
• On March 25, Persichilli contacted the Washington State Health Department to learn about its experience fighting COVID-19. That state's suggestions aligned with what NJ had done.
• Also on March 25, Murphy signed Executive Order 111 requiring all facilities to report on supplies and be prepared to allocate scarce resources that included long-term care.
• On March 30, another advisory was sent out for all post-acute settings. It included restricting visitors, active symptoms screenings, separate wings for asymptomatic residents and limit cross-polination of staff. The state recommended stopping roup activities and group dining.
• Universal masking was implemented.
• Optimizing PPE usage was suggested.
• Staff contingency plans were asked to be developed.
• Also on March 30, Care One agreed to take COVID positive patients from acute care hospitals to provide beds and take patients from the already stressed long-term care facilities.
• On March 31 discharge instructions were sent to all hospitals to prevent further admissions.
• Also on March 31, Persichilli held a call with over 200 facilities outlining requirements for accepting patients back. The key was adherence to infection prevention.
• On April 2, a memo was sent requiring facilities to share their staffing capacities and PPE supply numbers. Since then and May 19 more than 24 million pieces of PPE have been sent to long-term care facilities.
• Early April contracts were finalized with Aleris and Genesis to designate an additional 522 COVID-capable beds for nursing home patients being discharged from hospitals.
• On April 13, an emergency curtailment order was issued to prohibit admission and readmission to facilities if they did not have the ability to cohort patients and staff and follow guidelines and staffing.
• April 13-15, the "predicted surge in our hospitals" happened.

But just because the guidance was sent, it doesn't mean there was compliance, Persichilli said. Tuesday was the deadline for all long-term care facilities to send the Department of Health attestations that they had a plan in place for care.

"Presently 678 have returned attestations and 24 are delinquent," Persichilli said.

According to the latest state information the facilities delinquent are:

• ATLANTIC REHABILITATION INSTITUTE, LAKEWOOD
• AVE CARE AT NEWTON, NEWTON
• RIGHTON GARDENS OF LEISURE PARK, LAKEWOOD
• CEDAR GROVE RESPIRATORY AND NURSING CENTER, WILLIAMSTOWN
• CLARE ESTATE, THE, BORDENTOWN
• COUNTRY HOME OPERATIONS LLC, MORRIS PLAINS
• CREST POINTE REHABILITATION AND HEALTHCARE CENTER, PT PLEASANT
• ELMS OF CRANBURY, THE, CRANBURY
• FATHER HUDSON HOUSE, ELIZABETH,
• FOUNTAINS AT CEDAR PARKE, THE, ATCO
• GOLDENVIEW LIVING, NORTH BRUNSWICK
• HOUSE OF THE HOLY COMFORTER, WEST ORANGE
• JEWISH HOME FOR REHABILITATION AND NURSING, FREEHOLD
• MANORCARE HEALTH SERVICES-WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, SEWELL
• MILL GARDENS AT MIDLAND PARK, MIDLAND PARK
• MILLENNIUM MEMORY CARE AT HOLMDEL LLC, HOLMDEL
• MILLENNIUM MEMORY CARE AT MATAWAN, CLIFFWOOD
• MILLENNIUM MEMORY CARE AT MONROE, MONROE
• MILLENNIUM MEMORY CARE AT OCEAN, OCEAN
• ROSEVILLE MANOR, NEWARK
• SELAH CARE CENTER, BELVIDERE
• SKILLED NURSING AT FELLOWSHIP VILLAGE, BASKING RIDGE
• VALLEY VIEW REHABILITATION AND HEALTHCARE CTR, NEWTON
• VILLA MARIE CLAIRE, SADDLE RIVER

Persichilli said she did not characterize her timeline as defensive, but rather just an attempt to clear up the record.

"Some people will say they saw this coming, but that's what we have to look at. Because there will be another one," she said. "And I want to make sure that the record is clear and that we learn from it."

She also noted it was about responsibility, not blame.

"This is not a time to blame anyone at all," Persichilli said.

Other reports, however, have shown a particularly horrifying trend.

Another report about a Warren County facility revealed a woman who fought to save her father from what she says was mismanagement of his care.

Infamously, Andover Rehabilitation and Subacute Care set up a "makeshift morgue" to deal with an overflow of bodies over Easter weekend. The facility, which had numerous complaints and penalties levied at it in the past was recently fined $220,000 and is now being sued by families of patients.

Murphy is also facing criticism from Senator Joseph Pennacchio, who is calling for a Senate Select Committee to investigate the Executive Branch's handling of the pandemic after a report the Administration has altered the total of COVID-related nursing home deaths.

"It is a disturbing and ineffective attempt to cover up the extent of an ongoing tragedy that has wreaked havoc in nursing homes," said Pennacchio after a published report that the state had altered its accounting of virus deaths in senior facilities.

Also, on Tuesday, the Department of Health drew criticism when it slashed the number of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes by 1,400, dropping the "official" number from 5,700 to 4,295.

"The administration has yet to explain the disastrous policies that led to carnage among the vulnerable and fragile senior population that had been literally held captive in under-prepared facilities so somebody decided to cook the books and erase the loss of almost 1,500 precious souls," said Pennacchio.

Murphy said Thursday that it is important to reiterate asymptomatic staff and visitors spread the virus in the early days of the pandemic.

"All folks going in and out of these facilities were not symptomatic unwittingly started the kindling of the fires that has raged," he said. "I was reminded this morning that over 80 percent of deaths in Canada were from long-term care facilities. It isn't just us."

Murphy also noted he is focused on the "now," trying to figure out what can be done better at this moment to save lives.

"There are several hundred thousand people associated with long-term care facilities that we are working to keep healthy and alive as we sit here," he said.

Pennacchio pressed his attack after the press conference, saying that Murphy left the residents and staff of nursing homes to fend for themselves as the coronavirus spread through facilities, and the results were tragic.

“There are no words to explain it, no way to justify it,” said Pennacchio. “The department essentially washed its hands of the problem, protecting its own experts at the expense of nursing home residents and workers who were left to their own devises to contend with the deadly outbreak. The laissez-faire approach turned some facilities into ‘death homes’ for fragile senior citizens.”

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