Eight patients died at the center on Sept. 13, 2017, after Hurricane Irma hit the area and air-conditioners stopped working. Several more patients died in the ensuing weeks, and a local medical examiner ruled 12 of the deaths were homicides. The state shut down the center in response.
The state and Senate later found some nurses had failed to record patient information, such as vital signs and temperatures, throughout Hurricane Irma’s aftermath. One patient who had already died was described in records as “resting in bed” with “even and unlabored” breathing.
Authorities from the nursing home said they tried to alert state authorities and a local power company that their air-conditioning system had stopped working but received no response. The nursing home transferred over 100 patients to hospitals throughout the ordeal.
Former Gov. Rick Scott faulted the home for not calling 911 until residents were already near death. A lawyer for the nursing home said providers were constantly monitoring residents had no reason to call 911 until residents actually became ill.
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