Former LaSalle home administrators misled Pritzker administration, officials claim
By SARAH MANSUR
Capitol News Illinois
smansur@capitolnewsillinois.com
SPRINGFIELD — Top officials from Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration claimed Thursday that they were misled by leadership at the state Department of Veterans’ Affairs regarding a deadly COVID-19 outbreak at the state-run LaSalle Veterans’ Home.
Deputy Gov. Sol Flores and Illinois Department of Public Health Director Ngozi Ezike said, as a result of this misinformation, they were unaware of the breakdown in basic infection control protocols at LaSalle that led to a November COVID-19 outbreak that killed 36 veterans.
During the nearly four-hour House Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing Thursday, Flores blamed senior officials at IDVA and the home for the staff’s failure to follow state and federal health guidelines.
“IDVA was supposed to be following all protocols laid out in the IDPH and (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines specific to long-term care facilities,” Flores, who oversees human services agencies for the governor’s office, told the committee. “We were told that that was happening by the home administrator (Angela Mehlbrech), and the staff that was on the ground.”
Mehlbrech was fired in December, and former IDVA Director Linda Chapa LaVia, as well as her chief of staff, Tony Kolbeck, have since resigned.
When asked what has changed at the home to ensure the administration is not receiving misinformation, Flores cited new leadership at the home. She said the administration is also asking for more detailed reports from staff at the home.
“Now that visitation is allowed, I intend to go with (IDVA Acting) Director (Terry) Prince and visit more of the homes,” Flores said, noting she has not yet visited the LaSalle home in person.
Ezike said medical and infection control professionals at IDPH were in frequent contact with the Kolbeck and others at the home throughout the outbreak to educate and recommend strategies.
“Through these calls and through the information we were hearing at the time, we believed that the home was following all the recommended protocols and the appropriate steps were being taken to address the cases,” Ezike said.
The hearing comes two weeks after the release of an investigative report into the response by officials from the home and IDVA.
The investigation revealed a response to the outbreak at the LaSalle home that was “inefficient, reactive, and, at times, chaotic,” according to the 50-page report from the Illinois Department of Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General.
The report found the home and agency lacked any outbreak plans and had insufficient COVID-19 policies. In addition, the report found the home and agency failed to communicate, train, and educate staff members concerning COVID-19 policies, and it found repeated non-compliance with personal protective equipment protocols among staff.
It described former IDVA Director Linda Chapa LaVia as having “abdicated” her authority to Kolbeck. It also found that no one at IDVA visited the LaSalle facility, either in person or virtually, from March 2020 until December 2020.
The scope of the investigation was limited to examining policies and protocols in the home, as well as assessing IDVA’s response to the outbreak and compliance with state and federal regulations.
The investigators only requested documents from IDVA, but not from the governor’s office or IDPH, according to Peter Neumer, acting inspector general at the Illinois Department of Human Services.
Neumer testified before the same committee earlier this week, noting his team did not interview anyone with the governor’s office, although it did interview three IDPH officials who have medical experience or backgrounds in infectious disease.
The inspector general’s report found that IDVA failed to implement recommendations made in 2019 after an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease at the state-run veterans home at Quincy that killed 13 veterans. Those recommendations called on IDVA to create uniform infection control policies across all four state-run homes.
Acting IDVA Director Prince, who also testified at Thursday’s committee hearing, said uniform policies were implemented at all four state-run veterans homes in late April.
The senior home administrator position at LaSalle, which has remained vacant since 2019, would have been responsible for carrying out these recommendations, according to the report. Since the position had not been filled, the recommendations were not implemented by the time the pandemic hit.
Prince said this position is still vacant but his department is currently interviewing candidates.
Pritzker, at an unrelated news conference on Wednesday, also assigned blame to IDVA leadership when asked about the failure to carry out recommendations.
“I’m upset and extraordinarily disappointed that leadership at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs did not make the corrections suggested in that report that should have been made,” he said.
Request for AG criminal investigation, civil lawsuits
House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, of Western Springs, sent a formal request on Tuesday to Attorney General Kwame Raoul asking him to open a criminal investigation into the COVID-19-related deaths at the LaSalle home.
“Caring for our aged veterans in our state facilities should always rise to the highest level of care,” Durkin’s wrote in the letter. “That standard of care for our heroic veterans at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home was not met as evidenced by the report.”
Such an investigation would not be unprecedented.
In 2018, then-Attorney General Lisa Madigan, a Democrat, launched a criminal investigation into how the administration of then-Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican, responded to the deadly outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease at Quincy between 2015 and 2018.
That investigation concluded in 2020, under current Attorney General Kwame Raoul, also a Democrat, who found there was not a basis to bring charges.
A spokesperson for Raoul’s office said Durkin’s request is being reviewed.
The state is also facing more than a dozen lawsuits filed on behalf of veterans who contracted COVID-19 at LaSalle. The lawsuits accuse the facility of providing negligent health care that violated state law.
Lawyers with the Chicago-based Levin & Perconti firm have argued in the lawsuits that the LaSalle facility did not provide health care services consistent with guidance issued by the state and federal health authorities, did not adequately supply or properly use personal protective equipment, and did not take the necessary steps to provide medical care to patients with COVID-19 or prevent further transmission of the virus.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government and distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
Local News
Boys Volleyball | Stagg ends Marist Invite with win over Riverside-Brookfield
Spread the loveBy Jason Maholy Sports Editor Stagg outlasted Riverside-Brookfield in a marathon first set, winning 36-34, then followed that with a 25-20 clincher on March 23 to finish seventh in the Silver divison at the 20th Marist RedHawks Invitational. The Chargers went 2-3 in the tournament. They opened pool play on March 22 at…
Boys Volleyball | Shepard finishes 4th in Bronze at Marist Invite
Spread the loveShepard served as one of three host sites for the 20th Marist RedHawks Invitational, and kicked off play in Palos Heights by facing Lincoln-Way East on March 22. The Griffins defeated the Astros, 25-10, 25-15. Marian Catholic beat Shepard, 25-23, 25-9, in the Astros’ second match of the day. The Astros fell to…
Obbie’s Pizza to stay ‘unique and delicious’
Spread the love. New owner vows to serve same popular menu . By Tim Hadac Archer Avenue’s long-time king of pizzerias will continue to rule. Same recipes at Obbie’s Pizza, 6654 W. Archer. Same pizza and ingredients. Same pasta, broasted chicken, shrimp, perch, Italian beef/sausage/meatball sandwiches, sides and pop. Same seasoned, Middleby Marshall pizza oven…
Countryside City Council tackles long list of items
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Water leaks, a new truck and abandoned vehicles were among a laundry list of items tackled by the Countryside City Council at its latest meeting. They were all from the infrastructure committee chaired by Ald. Mark Benson (3rd). All of the following were approved by a unanimous 6-0 vote on…
Argo High School holds Iftar Dinner for community
Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan More than 100 people gathered at Argo Community High School last week for a now annual Ramadan Iftar dinner organized by Argo teacher Nadia Elkhatib. Elkhatib was happy with the turnout for those coming Thursday night to break bread with the school’s Muslim students and their families. “I will continue…
Pool improvements advance in Palos Heights
Spread the loveBy Nuha Abdessalam Palos Heights aldermen last week approved contracts advancing improvements at the municipal pool. Alderman Jefry Key motioned for approval of a letter of agreement with the American Institute of Architects between Williams Architect and the City of Palos Heights for the pool improvement project. Since first proposing pool improvements in…
Teens enjoy Green Hills karaoke party
Spread the loveBy Nuha Abdessalam Palos Hills tweens and teens sang their hearts out for karaoke night at a neighborhood coffee house. Green Hills Library invited all tweens and teens for a karaoke night at Strange Brew Cafe on West 103rd Street and 87th Street on Feb. 22. Organized by Green Hill Library Youth Program…
Cervantinos Authentic Mexican Restaurant opens in Palos Heights
Spread the loveBy Kelly White When choosing a location for his second business location, Luis Garcia knew he wanted it to be Palos Heights. “I absolutely love it here,” Luis Garcia, of Oak Forest and the owner and chef of Cervantinos Authentic Mexican Restaurant #2, said. “It’s a great area, nice clientele and I’m happy…
Worth Polar Plunge raises record amount
Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle The FOP Worth Polar Plunge has been deemed a major success and local officials said the amount raised has set a new record. The annual event, sponsored by the Worth Police Department, took place in a large swimming pool that was put up in the parking lot of the Marrs-Meyer…
Green Hills Public Library hosts Eid Clothing Drive
Spread the loveBy Kelly White The Islamic calendar has two major holidays each year: Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan and celebrates an entire month of fasting, and Eid al-Adha, the festival of the sacrifice that occurs during the culmination of the Hajj pilgrimage season. It takes place two lunar months after Ramadan.…
Neighbors
Police Blotter
Spread the loveCHICAGO RIDGE DUI Orlando De La Rosa, 32, of Berwyn, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol following a traffic stop at 2:29 a.m. March 8 in the 9200 block of South Harlem Avenue. Police said he failed field sobriety tests and refused to submit a breath sample. He was also…
Oak Lawn seeks participants for Fourth of July parade
Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle It may be spring, but it is not too early to talk about a summer parade. The Oak Lawn Village Board approved a resolution Tuesday morning authorizing the submission of a permit request to the Illinois Department of Transportation for the 2024 Fourth of July Parade. The resolution approves the…
Sandburg welcomes new associate principal of instruction
Spread the loveConsolidated High School District 230 Board of Education is welcoming Dr. Veronica Shaw to Carl Sandburg High School as its new Associate Principal of Instruction. She begins July 1 and replaces Anita Huffman who was recently appointed as District 230’s Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services. With ample education leadership experience, Shaw is currently…
Residents warm up to Hills Chamber Business Expo
Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle Spring has arrived but winter continues to leave its calling card. However, that did not prevent the Hills Chamber of Commerce from holding its 10th annual Business and Community Expo Saturday at Conrady Junior High School in Hickory Hills. While the temperatures were frigid and windy outside, the spirit inside…
Palos Park to tweak outdated village zoning codes
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva The village of Palos Park has no grand plan to change the village landscape. But officials want to modernize some of its zoning codes. “The village has not comprehensively updated its development regulations since 1960,” Mayor Nicole Milovich-Walters said at the March 25 village council meeting. “Due to this, there…
SD122 psychologist resigns over Islamophobic posts
Spread the loveBy Nuha Abdessalam A psychologist for Ridgeland School District 122 has resigned after hundreds of parents demanded she be fired for social media posts that were pro-Israeli and anti-Palestinian. District Supt. Joseph Matise announced at a schoolboard meeting last week that Dr. Laurie Hoke had resigned. “Dr. Hoke will no longer be working…
Will the month of March leave like a lion?
Spread the love. By Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 517-7796 . The days are getting longer and slightly warmer. But my prediction of a few weeks ago–March is certainly not leaving like a lamb–may prove to be correct. A sure sign of spring in…
Robin sighting a sign of new beginnings
Spread the love. By Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 . I saw a robin the other day. This was the first sighting of the season for me. I remember my mom saying that the first robin of spring is a promise of new beginnings. May it be so. Is…
Thome sweet Thome: Nazareth baseball defeats Hall of Famer Jim Thome’s alma mater
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Nazareth baseball team took a road trip to the middle of Illinois and improved its record to 7-0 on March 23 by beating Limestone, 6-0. Limestone is the alma mater of former White Sox player and Baseball Hall of Fame member Jim Thome, who is an assistant coach…