* Ugh…
* Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs…
January 8, 2021
To residents, families or responsible parties, and staff of the Illinois Veterans Home at Quincy:
Since our last COVID-19 update there has been zero (0) additional case of COVID-19 among residents at our home, for a total of one hundred and thirty-four (134) COVID-19 cases among residents since the start of the pandemic. To date, ninety-nine (99) residents have recovered from COVID-19. Sadly, five (5) residents who tested positive for COVID-19 have passed away since our last update, with seventeen (17) residents total having passed away due to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.
Additionally, since our last COVID-19 update there have been two (2) additional case of COVID-19 among employees at our home, for a total of one hundred sixty-two (162) COVID- 19 cases among employees since the start of the pandemic. To date, one-hundred and forty- six (146) employees have recovered from COVID-19.
* Meanwhile…
The COVID-19 outbreak at the LaSalle Veterans home continues to claim lives, with 36 residents lost to the disease so far. As the Illinois Senate is set to convene over the weekend, State Senators Paul Schimpf (R-Waterloo) and Sue Rezin (R-Morris) are asking for an additional Veterans Affairs hearing to be held on the ongoing crisis.
“The Senate is going to be in Springfield for the lame-duck session to deal with issues of great importance, and I can think of little that is more important than saving lives and getting to the bottom of this tragedy,” Schimpf said. “We are still waiting to hear from an IDPH official who was actually making decisions when this tragedy began, so we can find out why it took so long to get a team on site to manage this crisis.”
“It has been over two months since the deadly outbreak at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home, and we have had only two legislative hearings on the subject,” said Sen. Rezin. “The people of Illinois deserve to know how this virus was able to run rampant through the home. The Illinois Department of Public Health must tell us why it took them 12 days to conduct a site visit. There is no good reason for us not to have a hearing during lame-duck session and certainly no acceptable excuse for IDPH to refuse to testify.”
- Candy Dogood - Saturday, Jan 9, 21 @ 11:54 am:
Senator Rezin should be called on to testify to explain why she was a vocal opponent of the state’s mitigation efforts, including standing against efforts to prevent transmission by closing restaurants and bars to indoor service.
There is no good excuse for her to fail to address her culpability in her community’s failed response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
We should have no tolerance for hypocrites who only care about the lives of their constituents when it is politically expedient.
- Precinct Captain - Saturday, Jan 9, 21 @ 11:57 am:
==The people of Illinois deserve to know how this virus was able to run rampant through the home.==
Look in the mirror Sen. Rezin. You’ll see the chair of the Contagion Caucus.
- Oswego Willy - Saturday, Jan 9, 21 @ 11:59 am:
Director Chapa LaVia should answer for this, as she told us in April they were “ready”, had a plan, and here we are again.
After Chapa LaVia testifies, she should resign or be removed from IDVA.
I can cite many things to her words and to expectations abd her own failure to her words.
=== We should have no tolerance for hypocrites who only care about the lives of their constituents when it is politically expedient.===
If this is so, and I don’t disagree, Chapa LaVia’s own hypocrisy to accountability with others in her position as she remains…
- Perplexed - Saturday, Jan 9, 21 @ 12:19 pm:
=== === We should have no tolerance for hypocrites who only care about the lives of their constituents when it is politically expedient.===
If this is so, and I don’t disagree, Chapa LaVia’s own hypocrisy to accountability with others in her position as she remains… ===
Serious question: To what extent does this equity principle apply to a governor who critiqued his predecessor after a comparable spurt of veterans’ horrific deaths, yet who have not held his own subordinates accountable for the deaths on his watch?
- Perplexed - Saturday, Jan 9, 21 @ 12:22 pm:
Correction: Should have been “has not held his own subordinates accountable” rather than “have not held his own subordinates accountable.”
- FormerParatrooper - Saturday, Jan 9, 21 @ 12:57 pm:
Legionnaires disease has also been reported recently.
No accountability is occurring.
Leadership failures from the top down.
- educateyourselfplease - Saturday, Jan 9, 21 @ 2:19 pm:
As we watch community spread numbers rise so with those inside long term care facilities. No one person is responsible for this. In case you forgot this is a pandemic that is out of control. If you truly feel people don’t care or are not taking this seriously you should really talk to the homes and not just the leadership. Ask those employees if they don’t care, ask those employees and nurses who hold the hands of dying people if they don’t care. You will get a much different answer. I hate that assumptions are being made and that only one side of the story is getting told. This is not a political football to be thrown around. This is peoples lives. I am sorely disappointed that you as media are not trying to get everyone’s side only the side that fits the political agenda.
- Oswego Willy - Saturday, Jan 9, 21 @ 2:31 pm:
=== No one person is responsible for this. In case you forgot this is a pandemic that is out of control. If you truly feel people don’t care or are not taking this seriously you should really talk to the homes and not just the leadership.===
Let’s go back to Chapa LaVia’s *own words* on April 4, at a presser;
=== “The home is following recommendations from local health officials with implementation assistance from the Department of Public Health to continue protecting everyone there,” Chapa LaVia said. “Our facilities are prepared for COVID-19. If cases do occur, we will work with the guidance from the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, our local health officials, to isolate, hospitalize residents as appropriate, and protect other residents and our staff from transmittal.”===
Words matter. Personnel is policy. Accountability helps to trust.
Chapa LaVia is still director.
- Oswego Willy - Saturday, Jan 9, 21 @ 2:35 pm:
Let’s also revisit accountability;
From the Tribune’s LaSalle Veterans’ Home hearing coverage…
===Chapa LaVia said she is ultimately responsible for the department, and referenced the ongoing investigation. “If there’s another idea, please bring it forward right now. These are the resources and tools I have to investigate my own department and to see what went wrong,” she said.===
If Chapa LaVia says she’s responsible…
- educateyourselfplease - Saturday, Jan 9, 21 @ 2:47 pm:
Would you ask for the resignation of the heads of hospitals who made errors, the other long term care facilities in Illinois who had 3x as many deaths, or the head of Corrections, how about DHS. What makes them exempt from being held responsible for the deaths under their watch. You cannot pick and choose who is to be held accountable.
=== “The home is following recommendations from local health officials with implementation assistance from the Department of Public Health to continue protecting everyone there,” Chapa LaVia said. “Our facilities are prepared for COVID-19. If cases do occur, we will work with the guidance from the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, our local health officials, to isolate, hospitalize residents as appropriate, and protect other residents and our staff from transmittal.”===
What wasn’t true? Help me see the this the way you do?
- Oswego Willy - Saturday, Jan 9, 21 @ 2:58 pm:
=== Would you ask for the resignation of the heads of hospitals who made errors===
And you wouldn’t?
Whew. “It’s ok, people die”, is that how it goes?
Keeping the failed director, Chapa LaVia, who let down veterans, who railed on Rauner and Rauner’s IDVA director for accountability after deaths… you can’t grasp that?
If you can’t grasp that, that’s on you. While you’re at it, tell those family with lost veterans, “hey it happens, it’s happening everywhere”…
Personnel is policy. The Governor not publicly asking for Chapa LaVia’s resignation at this point is confusing to the rhetoric (seems more pointed political rhetoric now) during the Quincy Legionaries Disease crisis
I guess educating yourself means being fine with no accountability for political appointees who fail in the mission of protecting veterans… then again, you’re seemingly fine with anyone in leadership who failed during this crisis, including nursing homes.
- Dutch - Saturday, Jan 9, 21 @ 3:02 pm:
Unfortunately, there is a lack of accountability in most organizations as you get closer to the top. I guess the thing with the IDVA is that it is a public entity entrusted with helping and insuring the safety of veterans. By nature of that, its leaders are subject to heightened scrutiny that maybe other organizations do not face.
- educateyourselfplease - Saturday, Jan 9, 21 @ 3:04 pm:
great talk, sorry you twisted my words in a way i never meant but clearly its not going to help if i continue to explain.
- Oswego Willy - Saturday, Jan 9, 21 @ 3:06 pm:
===if i continue to explain.===
If you’re explaining, you’re losing.
- Alex in Aurora - Saturday, Jan 9, 21 @ 4:43 pm:
Funny what happens when you appoint a real estate agent with no management experience to run a $110 million organization with 1,200 employees. She needs to take responsibility and resign.
- Loyalty - Saturday, Jan 9, 21 @ 9:10 pm:
===I am sorely disappointed that you as media are not trying to get everyone’s side only the side that fits the political agenda.===
Nothing is stopping the IDVA from giving a press conference…