FBI Raids Pennsylvania Nursing Home Where Hundreds Caught Coronavirus, Dozens Died [View all]

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Source: NBC News/MSN

By Tim Stelloh, 1 hr ago.

Federal and state investigators raided a Pennsylvania nursing home Thursday where hundreds of residents and staff members tested positive for coronavirus and dozens have died, authorities said. Investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the state attorney general's office and other agencies executed the search warrant at Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center northeast of Pittsburgh, said Scott Brady, U.S. Attorney for Pennsylvania's Western District.

The Mt. Lebanon Rehabilitation and Wellness Center, another nursing home in the Pittsburgh area operated by the same company that owns Brighton, was also searched by authorities on Thursday, NBC affiliate WPXI reported. Brady did not offer details about the search warrant but he encouraged anyone with information about suspected fraud, abuse or victimization to contact a regional COVID-19 task force.

Last month, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said that the facility was under investigation over reports of "deeply troubling" conditions and practices. "I can confirm that Brighton is one of the subjects of our criminal investigations into neglect at nursing homes during the pandemic," he tweeted.

State Department of Health data show that 447 residents and staff members tested positive for the disease, and 73 people died. In late July, the facility announced that it had no cases for the first time since March, according to WPXI, but its outbreak remains the worst in a Pennsylvania...

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/fbi-raids-pennsylvania-nursing-home-where-hundreds-caught-coronavirus-dozens-died/ar-BB18GI5n?ocid=msedgdhp

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Records by Medicare indicate that state inspectors last year warned of lax sanitary conditions that could promote disease infection spread. A Sept. 13, 2019 report showed that the facility had a shortage of trained nurses and some residents were lving in conditions of filth.
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Many nursing and elder homes are operated for profit by corporations and hire low wage, less skilled staff that have to work at additional facility jobs to supplement income which increases the spread of infection from one center to another.

The industry was also successful recently in lobbying for rule changes to reduce the required hours for staff training and added lengthy extensions for training completion.

*Trump Team Relaxed Training Rules For Nursing Home Staff By 90%, Just As Pandemic Hit: Failed Vulnerable, 7/15/10.
https://democraticunderground.com/1016262340
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- Pittsburgh Post- Gazette, 'Federal Agents Execute Warrants At Brighton Rehabilitation, Mt. Lebanon Site,' Sept. 3, 2020.
https://www.post-gazette.com/news/health/2020/09/03/Federal-agents-execute-warrants-Brighton-Rehabilitation-Mt-Lebanon-Rehab-pandemic/stories/202009030126

Federal and state agents on Thursday executed search warrants at Mt. Lebanon Rehabilitation and Wellness Center and Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in Beaver County, which had already been under scrutiny by the state attorney general's office. U.S. Attorney Scott Brady said in a statement that agents from the AG's office, the FBI, the office of inspector general for Health and Human Services, and IRS-Criminal Investigation were executing court-authorized warrants.

His office would not release any more details other than to encourage anyone with information on suspected fraud or abuse related to long-term care facilities and the COVID-19 pandemic to report it to the Western Pennsylvania COVID-19 Fraud Task Force through the dedicated toll free hotline or email address. Last month, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro had confirmed that the Beaver County facility is one of several nursing homes his office was investigating for criminal neglect during the COVID-19 crisis.

Sens. Pat Toomy and Bob Casey have sent a joint letter asking that three federal offices asking that they take five specific actions to address the "devastation" of the virus in nursing homes, such as Bright Rehabilitation and Wellness Center, above, in Beaver County...