SALISBURY, N.C. — A Federal Strike Team from the CDC visited a Salisbury nursing home Thursday that was at the center of one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the state of North Carolina.
The team made up of staff from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) assistant secretary for health visited The Citadel Salisbury.
According to state data, The Citadel Salisbury had an outbreak of more than 150 COVID-19 cases and at least 18 deaths in the early months of the pandemic.
The team of federal health officials was expected to meet with staff at the facility, conduct on-site infection control assessments, and provide additional training if needed.
A lawsuit is pending against Accordius Health, the parents company of The Citadel Salisbury, with claims the nursing home failed to protect residents from the dangers of COVID-19 and failed to meet the minimum standards of care in North Carolina.
John Hughes, an attorney with Wallace & Graham, said he was grateful the CDC was visiting the facility because he said lack of transparency has been an issue for his clients.
“They had a sign on the door that said there's no coronavirus here. That wasn't true,” Hughes said. “People were not wearing masks. When nurses would bring in their own masks to wear, they were told they would be written up if they wore a mask. When people went out with coronavirus, the nursing staff, they were told to come back before they were actually through their quarantine.”
The lawsuit asks for injunctive relief. Hughes said family members believe the facility needs to be shut down or put under new ownership after seeing how the nursing home handled the outbreak.
"It's really bad because it's a small town, right?” Hughes said. “It's a small town, and when Salisbury became the site of the biggest outbreak in North Carolina, that's not the kind of headline that you want to have for your small town."
Accordius Health issued the following statement via press release to WCNC Charlotte:
"Officials at The Citadel Salisbury nursing home met with representatives from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and the federal health department Thursday to discuss challenges faced by nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The team did not identify any immediate needs that the facility needs to address.
“When providers and federal health officials collaborate in ways like this, everyone benefits,” said Kim Morrow, chief operating officer at Accordius Health. “We value strong partnerships with health officials at all levels because we are committed to common goals related to safety and quality. We enjoyed the opportunity to consult with some of the nation’s leading experts in infection control, benefiting from their expertise and sharing our on-the-ground perspective.”
The Citadel Salisbury team discussed specific challenges they faced over the last five months, from access to PPE to delays in receiving test results. They also discussed broader issues, including the ongoing staffing challenges that have impacted nursing homes across the nation and how to attract new workers to the industry.
“Visiting with partners in federal health departments is a valuable way for us to continue our commitment to clinical excellence,” Morrow said.
Since July, teams of experienced federal health officials have been visiting nursing homes across the country to better understand the challenges presented by COVID-19 and discuss how providers and federal officials can work together to slow the spread of the virus.