Salem Transitional Care (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter)
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A south Salem nursing home has become the latest COVID-19 “hotspot” in Marion County with a tripling in the last week in the number of people testing positive for the disease, according to a state report released Tuesday.
Salem Transitional Care, 3445 Boone Rd. S.E., part of Wilsonville-based Avamere, has 26 residents or employees who tested positive for COVID-19 as of May 3, the state reported. One week earlier, the state reported nine infected people at the nursing home without detailing how many were residents or employees. Three have died.
No other nursing home or long-term care facility in Oregon reported such an increase over the prior week.
A person answering phones at Salem Transitional Care referred questions to a corporate email. No one answered at corporate headquarters Tuesday evening. Shawn Raloff, director of marketing and communications for Avamere, said in an email that he was unsure if he could provide information Tuesday evening.
Over the weekend, Marion County Health distributed 200 gowns to the facility to aid their response to the increase, said county spokeswoman Jenna Wyatt. Wyatt said the county has been making sure long-term care facilities have adequate personal protective equipment whenever there’s an outbreak.
She said county health authorities, however, wouldn’t be available until Wednesday to address the Salem outbreak.
State records show that Salem Transitional Care was inspected April 7 by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and was found to be in “substantial compliance” with COVID-19 infection control regulations.
Public health officials since the start of the global pandemic have been particularly concerned about congregate care facilities caring for the elderly. Medical research shows they are particularly vulnerable to becoming seriously ill if infected.
Across Marion County, nursing home residents and employees in seven facilities account for at least 71 cases of the virus in Marion County and nine deaths, nearly half the county total.
Seven Marion County nursing homes have reported deaths from the virus to the state, but no other home has more than one.
Across Oregon, deaths from COVID-19 have been concentrated in nursing homes, where 68 people have died. State regulators on Tuesday suspended the license for Healthcare at Foster Creek, a Portland nursing home, which has reported 28 deaths and 117 people testing positive for the virus.
Salem Transitional now ranks as having the fifth-highest count of infections among senior facilities in Oregon and exceeds two other Marion County facilities that drew attention earlier for their infections. Marquis Marian Estates, a Sublimity assisted living facility, which had its first positive test on March 30, has had 16 cases while The Oaks at Sherwood Park, a Keizer nursing home with its first infection reported March 20, has had 14.
State records showed that Salem Transitional is licensed for 80 beds and that it had 53 residents during a review conducted Wednesday, April 29.
Nursing homes and long-term care facilities where someone has tested positive for COVID-19 or has a test pending must follow more restrictive state guidelines. Those include not admitting new residents, ending group meals and activities, moving residents to private rooms when possible and immediately reporting any new confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases to the state.
Elisa Williams, spokeswoman for DHS’ aging and long term care division, said Salem Transitional Care is currently under such an order, but she could not immediately say when it was put into place. The facility first reported a COVID-19 case to state regulators on March 27.
The home has been cited by state regulators for mild or moderate neglect of residents nine times in the past five years, most recently in March 2017 for failing to provide adequate pain control. None of the violations relate to the control of infectious disease, and no state notices, a formal regulatory action, were issued.
The state started restricting access to senior facilities two days after Gov. Kate Brown declared a state of emergency on March 8. The Oregon Department of Human Services required facilities to limit visitors and then on March 17 imposed even tighter limits, barring all visitors except in extraordinary circumstances.
Facilities with residents or employees testing positive must post a notice at the door and follow state guidelines for caring for patients.
According to its website, Avamere operates 250 locations in 19 states with 8,800 employees. The company said in a May 1 press release that it had received 122,800 face masks and N95 masks from China.
Avamere also operates Laurelhurst Village in Portland, which on April 10 opened a 47-unit treatment center to provide care for COVID-19 patients after they leave the hospital.
MARION COUNTY NURSING HOME/ASSISTED LIVING CASES AS OF MAY 5:
Salem Transitional Care, Salem – 26.
Marquis Marian Estates, Sublimity – 16.
The Oaks at Sherwood Park, Keizer – 14.
Country Meadows Village, Woodburn – 6.
Four Seasons Memory Care, Salem – 4.
Avamere Court in Keizer, – 3
Jason Lee Manor Apartments, Salem. – 2
NOTE: All except Salem Transitional have had 1 death
TOP 5 in OREGON:
Healthcare at Foster Creek – 117 (28 deaths)
Laurelhurst Village – 48 (4 deaths)
Oregon Veterans Home – 38 (7 deaths)
Village Health Care – 37 (3 deaths)
Salem Transitional Care – 26 (3 deaths)
Contact reporter Rachel Alexander at [email protected] or 503-575-1241.
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