Province appoints St. Mary's Hospital to temporarily manage Kitchener long-term care home

Ontario's Ministry of Long-Term Care on Tuesday issued a mandatory management order appointing St. Mary's General Hospital in Kitchener to temporarily manage Forest Heights Revera for 90 days. 

The order may be extended beyond the 90 days, if necessary, the ministry said in a news release.

"The safety and well-being of residents and staff in long-term care have always been and will continue to be our number one priority," Minister of Long-Term Care Dr. Merrilee Fullerton said in a release.

"I am confident that the talented staff at St. Mary's General Hospital and Forest Heights will work together to contain COVID-19 and stabilize the home."

The ministry noted that despite receiving hospital support for weeks, Forest Heights has been unable to contain the spread of COVID-19. 

It said that by taking these steps, the ministry is putting in place a "rigorous management structure" to help contain the spread of the disease and assist in returning the home to normal operations.

In an email statement, a spokesperson for Revera told CBC News the company welcomed the order.

"[The order] will provide some much-needed support for exhausted leaders at the site who have worked tirelessly under extremely stressful circumstances to try to stop the spread of this devastating virus," said spokesperson James Thayer.

Thayer said the company looks forward to reflecting on the pandemic "with the benefit of hindsight" to determine ways of improving the long-term care sector. 

Acting medical officer of health Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang said in a statement, the order should help bring the outbreak under control. 

Since April 1, the home has seen 175 positive cases in residents, 69 cases in staff members and 51 deaths.

'Waited too long'

Family member Tracy Rowley told CBC News she was heartened by the announcement Tuesday.

Still, she said, the home should have taken action sooner. 

"We waited too long to do it," said Rowley, whose close friend and "second mom" Shirley Egerdeen died of COVID-19 at Forest Heights in April. At that point, Rowley said Egerdeen had been staying in close quarters with other residents.

Rowley has also joined the class action lawsuit against Revera and said she hopes the spotlight on Forest Heights will lead to better conditions in the future.

"Maybe people like us can get some answers [about] why finances seemed to come over the safety of our family," she said.  

It's been 'incredibly challenging and heart-breaking': hospital CEO

Responding to the announcement St. Mary's General Hospital's president and CEO Lee Fairclough said the outbreak had proven to be difficult.

"The impact of COVID-19 has been incredibly challenging and heart-breaking for residents, families and staff of Forest Heights," Fairclough said in the news release. 

"We are committed to working closely with them to support and effectively manage the response to an outbreak that has proven very complex and difficult to control. We will continue to work alongside our hospital and system partners to enhance the health and well-being of our shared community."

Family members can expect regular updates from St. Mary's on the hospital website, Fairclough said. 

Meanwhile, MPP for Kitchener-Conestoga Mike Harris expressed confidence in the hospital's ability to manage the situation.

"I want to extend my sincere appreciation to St. Mary's General Hospital and Forest Heights for working together to get this outbreak under control," Harris said in the news release.

"I know that St. Mary's will bring much needed expertise to keep residents and staff safe from COVID-19."

Kitchener Centre MPP Laura Mae Lindo told CBC News her feelings were more mixed. Lindo said she's been fielding calls from family members asking why the military wasn't brought in to assist at Forest Heights. 

Lindo said she hasn't gotten clear answers from Revera or the province.

"There's not been transparency," said Lindo.

In response to a request from CBC News, a spokesperson for the Minister of Long-Term Care said the long-term care homes deemed "highest priority" were those with the most acute staffing challenges. Support from the Canadian Armed Forces may still be redeployed to other sites in the future, the spokesperson said. 

On May 29, the province listed Forest Heights Revera a "red" long-term care home, one of 19 in Ontario.

The province ranks long-term care homes as red, yellow and green, green being minimal issues and red being where people are at the highest risk of contracting COVID-19.