State takes steps at Portland care facility where 9-14 residents have died due to COVID-19

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) --- The Oregon Department of Human Services, as part of a multi-agency state team, announced several new actions Thursday to further support the care and safety of residents at Healthcare at Foster Creek in southeast Portland, where at least nine residents have died due to COVID-19.

Healthcare at Foster Creek has had 50 confirmed cases of COVID-19 at its facility and nine of its residents have died from complications related to the virus, according to Tuesday data released by the Oregon Health Authority.

The facility reported to DHS on Wednesday that at least 14 resident deaths could ultimately be attributed to COVID-19.  

While the multi-agency team has been working with the facility since early April, DHS took several stronger steps Thursday as part of a regulatory action, including:

• Securing a management consultant to oversee infection control improvements and assist with operations at the facility.
• Dedicating two DHS registered nurse surveyors to monitor the facility on site and work with the consultant, facility management and staff to ensure residents’ needs are met.
• Requiring the submission of daily staffing reports to the department

“With this additional oversight, the state can better work with facility management to take additional measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 infections. We share a deep concern for the residents and staff impacted by the virus,” said Mike McCormick, interim director of the DHS Office of Aging and People with Disabilities, which licenses long-term care facilities. 

A total of 24 long-term care facilities in Oregon are currently reporting staff or residents have COVID-19. That’s about 4 percent of nursing, assisted living and residential care facilities statewide. Six adult foster homes, or less than 1 percent of these homes statewide, are currently reporting COVID-19 cases. 

So far, no Central Oregon facility has reported COVID-19 cases. Tests are pending for residents at Brookdale Bend and Brookside Place in Redmond and staff at Touchmark Mt. Bachelor Village, the state said.

The state launched a multi-agency support team to assess the needs of long-term care facilities experiencing increased COVID-19 cases, to help them access resources such as staffing and personal protective equipment, and to provide additional oversight if necessary. The team includes DHS, OHA and local public health authorities.

As part of this work, the state is contracting with facilities to develop additional capacity to safely treat COVID-19 patients. A 47-bed facility at Laurelhurst Village Rehab in Portland began accepting patients recovering from COVID-19 on Wednesday. 

Resources:

For lists of state-licensed long-term care facilities reporting COVID-19 cases or tests pending on suspected cases visit: https://www.oregon.gov/DHS/COVID-19/Pages/LTC-Facilities.aspx.

For an update on COVID-19 cases at long-term care facilities visit: https://govsite-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/0NtmRxaGTU2WdC1MGu8O_COVID-19-Weekly-Report-2020-04-14-FINAL.pdf.