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on nursing home scandal:On April 14 2020, Berna Lee contacted my office, fearing that her mother, residing in a nursing home in my district, had been negligently exposed to COVID. Berna had been stonewalled.
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https://abc7ny.com/nursing-home-deaths-sapphire-flushing-queens-berna-lee/6109442/
Desperate for answers, Berna and I went to the nursing home together where I learned the facility was understaffed, short of PPE, overwhelmed and severely under prepared following Gov Cuomo's 3/25/20 directive to send COVID positives to nursing homes.
2/ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8229387/Twenty-nine-residents-die-coronavirus-single-New-York-City-nursing-home.html
2/ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8229387/Twenty-nine-residents-die-coronavirus-single-New-York-City-nursing-home.html
As my office looked into the matter further, more & more families reached out to us with their experiences. We found that the nursing homes and the Department of Health were purposely covering up the true number of residents dying from COVID @nytimes
3/ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/16/nyregion/new-york-nj-nursing-homes-coronavirus-deaths.html?referringSource=articleShare
3/ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/16/nyregion/new-york-nj-nursing-homes-coronavirus-deaths.html?referringSource=articleShare
By end of April 2020, we knew the state Dept of Health had no plan to support the under-staffed and under-resourced nursing homes. Our community and electeds scrambled to donate/source PPEs and recruit volunteers.
4/ https://www.thecity.nyc/health/2020/4/16/21247092/virus-devastating-nursing-homes-but-true-magnitude-still-unknown
4/ https://www.thecity.nyc/health/2020/4/16/21247092/virus-devastating-nursing-homes-but-true-magnitude-still-unknown
On April 20, 2020, Governor Cuomo was finally asked about his deadly March 25, 2020 executive order to send COVID positives to nursing homes. He pretended to not know about it. @bern_hogan @nypost
5/ https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/cuomo-didnt-know-coronavirus-patients-are-being-sent-back-to-nursing-homes/
5/ https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/cuomo-didnt-know-coronavirus-patients-are-being-sent-back-to-nursing-homes/
During this time, my uncle passed away at a Flushing facility from presumed COVID. He was a US Army Captain who died afraid & alone in a nursing home. My pain is shared by many New Yorkers like @JaniceDean who vow to hold Gov Cuomo accountable.
6/ https://www.wamc.org/post/amid-covid-19-stories-nys-lawmakers-back-bill-provide-oversight-nursing-homes
6/ https://www.wamc.org/post/amid-covid-19-stories-nys-lawmakers-back-bill-provide-oversight-nursing-homes
On May 13, 2020, we found out that Gov Cuomo snuck in a last minute provision in the state’s budget (which I voted against) to grant legal immunity to nursing homes, hospitals, and their executive officers. I believe this lead to even more deaths.
7/ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/13/nyregion/nursing-homes-coronavirus-new-york.html?referringSource=articleShare
7/ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/13/nyregion/nursing-homes-coronavirus-new-york.html?referringSource=articleShare
On May 15, 2020, I introduced a bill to fully repeal the corporate legal shield for nursing homes and issued a series of reports. When it's a choice between saving lives and saving profits, NH corporations were given legal immunity to choose profits.
8/ https://qns.com/2020/05/queens-lawmaker-introduces-legislation-to-repeal-immunity-law-shielding-nursing-homes-from-lawsuits-amid-covid-19-outbreak/
8/ https://qns.com/2020/05/queens-lawmaker-introduces-legislation-to-repeal-immunity-law-shielding-nursing-homes-from-lawsuits-amid-covid-19-outbreak/
On May 26, 2020, @davidsirota broke the first major investigative report on how special interest groups drove Gov Cuomo to push for corporate legal immunity & how Mitch McConnell pushed for same corporate shield in Washington.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/26/andrew-cuomo-nursing-home-execs-immunity
https://www.jacobinmag.com/2020/07/health-care-lobby-democrats-execs-covid-immunity
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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/26/andrew-cuomo-nursing-home-execs-immunity
https://www.jacobinmag.com/2020/07/health-care-lobby-democrats-execs-covid-immunity
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On July 20, 2020, the state legislature passed my bill that prospectively repealed portions of the legal immunity for nursing homes and it was signed into law. @WSJ
https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-york-bill-would-trim-liability-shields-given-to-care-providers-in-pandemic-11595370705
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https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-york-bill-would-trim-liability-shields-given-to-care-providers-in-pandemic-11595370705
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On the Assembly floor, as I passed my partial repealer of the legal immunity for nursing homes, I vowed to not rest until I deliver retroactive justice for all the families who unjustly lost their loved ones in NHs:
11/ https://www.democratandchronicle.com/videos/news/politics/albany/2020/07/27/watch-assemblyman-ron-kim-ny-nursing-home-liability-covid-19/5516960002/
11/ https://www.democratandchronicle.com/videos/news/politics/albany/2020/07/27/watch-assemblyman-ron-kim-ny-nursing-home-liability-covid-19/5516960002/
On August 12, 2020, we had our first nursing home and long-term facility oversight hearing. Here is @SenatorBiaggi and I grilling the main lobbyist on how they pushed for legal immunity in Albany and Washington:
https://fb.watch/3rX7Yvokuo/
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https://fb.watch/3rX7Yvokuo/
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On August 21, 2020, @Biaggi4NY and I penned an oped calling for full funding of home care services to counter the poor conditions and management of nursing homes. @CaringMajority
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https://www.crainsnewyork.com/op-ed/new-york-must-protect-elderly-investing-home-care
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https://www.crainsnewyork.com/op-ed/new-york-must-protect-elderly-investing-home-care
On January 20, 2021, I sent a nonpartisan request with @Byrne4NY to President @JoeBiden asking him to make sure we receive full data and facts behind New York’s nursing home fatalities:Â
https://nypost.com/2021/01/20/ny-lawmakers-appeal-to-biden-for-covid-19-death-data-in-nursing-homes/
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https://nypost.com/2021/01/20/ny-lawmakers-appeal-to-biden-for-covid-19-death-data-in-nursing-homes/
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On January 28, 2021, @NewYorkStateAG issued her 77-pg report that validated everything about our findings on nursing homes & the for-profit motives that destroyed thousands of families. When I received the call from the AG office, my eyes teared up.
15/ https://www.radio.com/wcbs880/news/local/ny-undercounted-nursing-home-covid-deaths-report
15/ https://www.radio.com/wcbs880/news/local/ny-undercounted-nursing-home-covid-deaths-report
The AG’s report verified that Gov Cuomo and his administration tired to cover up the nursing home deaths by not counting up to 50% of the fatalities @propublica
16/ https://www.propublica.org/article/cuomo-undercounted-nursing-home-deaths-by-as-much-as-50-report-finds
16/ https://www.propublica.org/article/cuomo-undercounted-nursing-home-deaths-by-as-much-as-50-report-finds
The AG’s report also slams Governor Cuomo for protecting business interests (legal shield) over people’s lives in the middle of a pandemic @NBCNewYork
17/ https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/coronavirus/ny-atty-general-slams-legal-shield-protecting-nursing-homes-from-covid-lawsuits/2856698/
17/ https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/coronavirus/ny-atty-general-slams-legal-shield-protecting-nursing-homes-from-covid-lawsuits/2856698/
Following the AG’s report, the legislature is moving to pass safe staffing requirements in nursing homes and discussing a number of other measures:
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/politics/2021/01/29/ag-report-finds-unsafe-staffing-levels-and-inadequate-ppe-in-nursing-homes
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https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/politics/2021/01/29/ag-report-finds-unsafe-staffing-levels-and-inadequate-ppe-in-nursing-homes
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I’m proposing a victims comp fund for families who lost their loved ones in nursing homes & survivors who are dealing with health issues. It is the right thing to do because govt policies directly lead to thousands of New Yorkers' pain & suffering.
https://www.radio.com/wcbs880/news/local/lawmaker-plans-fund-for-families-of-covid-nursing-home-dead
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https://www.radio.com/wcbs880/news/local/lawmaker-plans-fund-for-families-of-covid-nursing-home-dead
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Policies must center solutions around people, not the special interest groups and corporations that are in it for profits @QueensChronicle
https://www.qchron.com/editions/queenswide/nursing-home-death-toll-twice-as-big/article_1012737d-2914-5046-ae45-db13c13a18bd.html
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https://www.qchron.com/editions/queenswide/nursing-home-death-toll-twice-as-big/article_1012737d-2914-5046-ae45-db13c13a18bd.html
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Governor Cuomo did not even blink when he retroactively took away patient rights by handing out legal shields to nursing home executives. In light of the AG’s report, it shouldn’t be that hard to restore their rights.
21/ https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/ny-state-of-politics/2021/02/04/will-nursing-home-immunity-change-
21/ https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/ny-state-of-politics/2021/02/04/will-nursing-home-immunity-change-
This is about justice for older adults and our vulnerable populations. From veterans being forced to take experimental drugs at state nursing homes and grieving families left without recourse, we must own up to our mistakes and move forward.
22/ https://www.cityandstateny.com/articles/politics/new-york-state/what-we-still-dont-know-about-covid-19-nursing-homes.html
22/ https://www.cityandstateny.com/articles/politics/new-york-state/what-we-still-dont-know-about-covid-19-nursing-homes.html
We must fully repeal @NYGovCuomo's immunity law that shields nursing home executives from legal consequences.
23/ https://gothamist.com/news/ny-gave-nursing-homes-sweeping-pandemic-immunity-now-some-lawmakers-want-roll-it-back
23/ https://gothamist.com/news/ny-gave-nursing-homes-sweeping-pandemic-immunity-now-some-lawmakers-want-roll-it-back
