According to a timeline released by the governor’s office, the governor’s aides received the initial call from the rehabilitation facility Sept. 11 at 7:35 p.m. Florida Department of Health Chief of Staff Alexis Lambert reportedly returned the call two hours later. The nursing home’s last call to the governor’s office took place Sept. 12 at 12:50 p.m. State health administrators allegedly returned the call later the same day, according to the report.
Mr. Scott provided nursing homes and assisted living facilities with his office number ahead of Hurricane Irma’s landfall to assist with any issues or concerns. A spokesperson for Mr. Scott told the Miami Herald Sunday the “transitory messages” were deleted because “the information from each voicemail was collected by the governor’s staff and given to the proper agency for handling. Every call was returned.”
Under state law, transitory messages may be deleted after they become obsolete or lose administrative value. The governor’s office reportedly forwarded the content of each message to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration and the DOH.
Eight residents died after the nursing home facility lost air conditioning Sept. 10 due to a transformer malfunction. Police confirmed the death toll has risen to 11 people, according to USA Today. Alice Thomas, 94, a resident of the facility died Sept. 21 — one day after another female resident perished.
The exact causes of death for the 11 victims have not been reported. However, a number of residents evacuated from the facility were treated for heat-related issues, according to the report. Broward County police said the deaths are being probed as part of an ongoing criminal investigation.
The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration suspended the nursing home’s license Sept. 20. The order prohibited the facility from operating as a nursing home or admitting patients and terminated the facility from the Medicaid program.
State officials also penned legislation to change the way nursing facilities in the state operate as a result of the incidents.
More articles on patient flow:
Ashford Presbyterian officials ‘slept in hospital’ when Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico
10th resident of Florida nursing home that lost air conditioning after Hurricane Irma dies
Lawsuits and legislation: 7 updates about the Florida nursing home where 8 residents died after Hurricane Irma
