KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Three people have died as the result of a COVID-19 outbreak at a Northland nursing home.
The Kansas City, Missouri, Health Department said Wednesday the outbreak at Garden Valley Healthcare Center, 8575 N. Granby Ave., began around Sept. 15.
Since then, it has grown to include 98 COVID-19-positive patients in the 156-bed facility, as well as 44 staff members who have tested positive.
The KCMO health department said there are three known deaths as a result of this outbreak.
A department spokesperson said the state is monitoring the situation at Garden Valley and is requiring regular testing at the home in addition to better infection control measures.
Fred Stratmann, spokesperson for Garden Valley's parent company CommuniCare, said COVID-19 protocols have been in place since March.
Some measures include restricted visitation and regular screening of staff members, Stratmann said.
At Garden Valley, Stratmann said, there is an isolation wing for patients who test positive and observation units for those who might have been exposed and are awaiting test results.
Many patients are being treated in-house, and the company has invested in personal protective equipment, according to Stratmann.
The son of one of the facility’s residents, who asked 41 Action News to conceal his identity fearing his father will face retaliation from the facility, said the robocalls his family receives from Garden Valley aren't adequate.
"It doesn't really say anything except the numbers, and the numbers are pretty disturbing," the man said.
So far, his father has tested negative for COVID-19, but wishes he could get clear answers from staff.
"Communication is the key," the man said, "and so far, they get an F for the communication because you call up there, it goes to voicemail."
Stratmann said they understand the families being frustrated.
"But the reality is that we have staff, and we need them to be providing care," Stratmann said. "And, you know, it's an unfortunate priority that we have that we're not able to answer every phone call in timely fashion, and it's frustrating for the families. But we're doing the best we can in those circumstances."
In other CommuniCare facilities, Stratmann said, they’ve seen anywhere from 30% to 50% of patients who test positive be asymptomatic.
Garden Valley has a one-star rating with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
The most recent inspection occurred in February and resulted in 30 citations, which have since been corrected.
Previous inspections revealed three infection control-related deficiencies, which also were addressed.
Since 2018, the facility has faced two fines totaling roughly $65,000.
The outbreak comes as concerns grow about nursing home and long-term care facility patients as COVID-19 cases appear to begin a third spike since the beginning of the pandemic.
Earlier this week, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced that 10 people had died from COVID-19 as part of an outbreak at a nursing home in Norton County, Kansas.
Locally, the Johnson County, Kansas, Department of Health and Environment continues to monitor several active COVID-19 clusters on its COVID-19 dashboard. The largest outbreaks currently in the county are the 65 cases at Infinity Park Post Acute and Rehab and the 50 cases at the Garden Terrace at Overland Park.
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