A Minneapolis Star Tribune report reviews inquiries into suspicious deaths that indicate persistent problems at the Minneapolis Veterans Home. According to the report, “In the past three years, state records show, the veterans home has been the subject of 11 state health department investigations, including four suspicious deaths.”
The report quotes the Minnesota’s legislative auditor, Jim Nobles, as being concerned about what he called “significant and persistent problems at the Minneapolis home.” Mr. Nobles has been critical of how the home operates. Nobles has suggested that the state VA should not be in the nursing home business: “At times, I even questioned whether the state was capable of adequately managing the facility.”
The Star Tribune reports that the 300-bed nursing home, with a waiting list of 700, is the largest of the five veterans homes operated by the state of Minnesota and “by far the most problematic. The home racked up 99 citations from the Minnesota Department of Health between 2005 and 2008.”
The Star Tribune reports that a former deputy veterans commissioner at the state, Pamela Barrows, sent a written request to Governor Dayton earlier this year seeking an investigation of the current deputy commissioner in charge of the homes, Michael Gallucci. Ms. Barrows alleges that the deputy commissioner has created a hostile work environment. The Star Tribune quotes Barrows as stating: “I’ve had multiple staff, in multiple locations state to me that they are fearful of this man and what he is doing to the homes.”
The Kosieradzki • Smith Law Firm represents clients in cases involving catastrophic injury caused by nursing homes and other care facilities that fail to provide proper care. If you believe your loved one has been harmed due neglect or abuse, take action today and contact the Kosieradzki • Smith Law Firm online or call us toll-free at (877) 552-2873 to set up a no-cost, no-obligation consultation.
