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Son of deceased Quincy veterans home resident: “People died because they didn’t know what was going on”

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Illinois

* Gene Kennedy at WGEM…

Three years ago this month, the Legionnaires disease crisis claimed a dozen lives at the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy. Today, as plans to build a new vets’ home in Quincy take shape, an Adams County man who lost his father to Legionnaires’ disease at the home speaks to WGEM News for the first time. […]

Eugene Miller tested positive for Legionnaires’ and official state emails later revealed at the time of his death, the state knew for nearly a week it was dealing with a Legionnaires’ crisis at the vets’ home.

“And we actually saw the dates of what was done and said, it just brought it home to us,” [Tim Miller] said. “Our dad could have maybe had a different outcome had we known that information when our dad was sick and beginning to show signs.” […]

“Our team has done, by in large, an excellent job,” Rauner said. “People aren’t perfect, occasionally they stumble here and there but the reality is we’ve done everything we were asked to do, immediately.”

When Miller heard that statement, he decided to speak out.

“What I think it really gets down to, the hardest thing is that he (Rauner) doesn’t want to give any thought to the fact that maybe the ball was dropped in a big way and that people died because they didn’t know what was going on,” Miller said. “It’s really a hard pill to swallow to see him say ‘we did it right, we did what we were supposed to do’ because that’s not the case.”

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Aug 31, 18 @ 10:27 am

Comments

Yes, this is entirely correct. When doctors are aware that Legionnella is a possible issue, it changes the choice of initial antibiotics. Which can make a life or death difference.

Comment by Groundhog Day Friday, Aug 31, 18 @ 10:37 am
How could anyone not be moved by this? How could anyone not see this as a failure of character and effectiveness? The real tragedy of real people is far more devastating than toilets, taxes, and Madigan.

Comment by Jibba Friday, Aug 31, 18 @ 10:39 am
Has Rauner every admitted to making a mistake about anything? I don’t get the sense that the man is particularly self-reflective.

Comment by slow down Friday, Aug 31, 18 @ 10:54 am
Bruce Rauner: “we’ve done everything we were asked to do, immediately.”

No. You did not do what our veterans and their families asked you to do.

Your staff and agency leaders tried to bury this story and shift blame.

Shame on you.

Comment by Sugar Corn Friday, Aug 31, 18 @ 11:01 am
“…but the reality is we’ve done everything we were asked to do, immediately.”

That’s not the “reality” when 13 people die.

The reality is 13 people died due to negligence.

If Quinn was blamed for the NRI stuff — then, yeah, Rauner is — directly — to blame for these 13 deaths.

Comment by Macbeth Friday, Aug 31, 18 @ 11:08 am
===“What I think it really gets down to, the hardest thing is that he (Rauner) doesn’t want to give any thought to the fact that maybe the ball was dropped in a big way and that people died because they didn’t know what was going on,” Miller said. “It’s really a hard pill to swallow to see him say ‘we did it right, we did what we were supposed to do’ because that’s not the case.”===

Whew.

It’s heartbreaking.

Those words speak to a pain brought upon by the family because a governor can’t accept the responsibility of where failure occurred… and messaging and spin were more important to that administration too.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Aug 31, 18 @ 11:09 am
Governor and your team’s ineffectiveness caused vets to die.
Rauner’s response-Madigan is to blame, we did a good job.
Isn’t there anybody among his superstars telling him the truth? Maybe Hud can explain that this Quincy vets problem can’t be ignored.

Comment by Trapped in the 'burbs Friday, Aug 31, 18 @ 12:08 pm
Nearly 3,000 Americans died in Puerto Rico following the hurricane and the Federal government’s anemic response and when asked about it the other day, all Trump could do was pat himself on the back for how it was handled.

Same exact play book.

Comment by slow down Friday, Aug 31, 18 @ 12:18 pm
–“What I think it really gets down to, the hardest thing is that he (Rauner) doesn’t want to give any thought to the fact that maybe the ball was dropped in a big way and that people died because they didn’t know what was going on,” Miller said. “It’s really a hard pill to swallow to see him say ‘we did it right, we did what we were supposed to do’ because that’s not the case.”–

Succinct, straightforward and true.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Aug 31, 18 @ 1:01 pm
Bruce Rauner strikes me as an especially icy individual. He appears to be incapable of any sympathy or empathy for the sufferings of others. And he lacks the maturity and moral integrity to take responsibility for when the inevitable happens. He needs to go. He should not be in charge of the cleanup crew of a high school football game, much less a state of 12.8 million people.

Comment by Nick Name Friday, Aug 31, 18 @ 3:24 pm