Four MN nursing homes have more than 100 coronavirus cases as state looks to control outbreak

Saint Therese Senior Services in New Hope, Minn., on Thursday, April 30, 2020. A suburban Minneapolis nursing home said 47 residents have died from complications of COVID-19, the most at any long-term care facility in Minnesota. (Evan Frost/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)

By Katrina Pross

Four Minnesota nursing homes have more than 100 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Three of those centers have at least 38 deaths.

The grim details of the state’s battle against the spread of the coronavirus in its assisted living centers were released this past Friday by the Minnesota Department of Health. In fact, the majority of deaths from the coronavirus in the state continues to be from long-term care or assisted living centers, making up 955 of the state’s 1,197 total deaths reported as of Monday.

The data’s release was in response to a request by Republican State Sen. Karin Housley of St. Mary’s Point, who has been critical of the state’s efforts to stem such cases.

“We are facing an unprecedented crisis at long-term care facilities in Minnesota,” Housley, who chairs the Senate’s Family Care and Aging Committee, said, pointing out that about 80 percent of the state’s coronavirus deaths have been in congregate-care facilities.

Housley had asked the Health Department for more details on how the virus was impacting nursing homes and at one point threatened to subpoena the agency. After receiving the data, Housley said in a statement that she would sponsor a bill requiring widespread testing at long-term care facilities.

WHICH CENTERS HIT HARDEST?

• North Ridge Health and Rehab in New Hope: 221 resident cases, 74 staff members infected, 57 resident deaths
• St. Therese of New Hope: 155 resident cases, 43 staff members infected, 67 resident deaths
• Southview Acres Healthcare Center in West St. Paul: 120 resident cases, 33 staff members infected, 38 resident deaths
• Lyngblomsten Care Center in St. Paul: 81 resident cases, 50 staff members infected, 16 resident deaths
• Augustana Chapel View Care Center in Hopkins: 68 resident cases, 22 staff members infected, 29 resident deaths.

MDH Commissioner Jan Malcolm said at a media briefing Monday afternoon that the numbers and data can be misleading without proper context, such as how the state compares with others. The MDH is also trying to take a balanced approach between trying to protect patient privacy and disclosing the names of facilities that have had more than 10 cases, Malcolm added.

“I certainly understand the public interest in knowing more detail about what’s going on in these long-term care facilities,” Malcolm said.

Of the 289 care centers listed with a confirmed case of coronavirus, more than half (146) had four cases or fewer; and 30 percent (86) had just one case.

Efforts to reach officials with the top few centers for comment were unsuccessful.

HOW DOES MINNESOTA COMPARE?

The outbreak in the United States is believed to have first taken a hold in a Seattle-area nursing home, prompting facilities across the country and Minnesota to limit visitors and interaction between staff and residents.

When looking at the numbers of cases in skilled nursing homes, Minnesota has 49.7 cases per 1,000 residents, Forum News Service reported. That ranks as the 26th highest state in the country and puts Minnesota below the national average of 62 cases per 1,000 residents.

The national average for deaths per 1,000 nursing home residents is 27.5 deaths. Minnesota is at 12.1 deaths per 1,000 nursing home residents, which is the 29th highest state.

Minnesota has stepped up its “battle plan” to address infections in long-term care centers with efforts such as expanding testing, helping staff get personal protective equipment when needed and looking to boost staffing.

Housley said in an email to the Pioneer Press that while the commissioner’s response did provide some useful information, she has several takeaways, including that she thinks some centers need more personal protection equipment and testing. She also said patients in these facilities should be allowed visitors again, and that Minnesota should a consider a similar approach to Colorado, which is looking at allowing outside visits.

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Four MN nursing homes have more than 100 coronavirus cases as state looks to control outbreak