Which Ohio nursing homes had COVID-19 deaths?

The WCPO I-Team and its Cleveland sister station WEWS teamed up for a joint investigation into why Ohio refuses to disclose which nursing homes have COVID deaths.

TONIGHT -- WE START WITH AWCPO 9 I-TEAM INVESTIGATION.GOVERNOR MIKE DEWINE NOW SAYSHE'LL REVISIT THE ISSUE OF THEOHIO áNOT RELEASINGCORONAVIRUS DEATH NUMBERS --ASSOCIATED WITH SPECIFICNURSING HOMES IN THE STATE.THIS DEVELOPMENT FOLLOWS ANINVESTIGATION WITH OUR SISTERSTATION IN CLEVELAND -- THATDIGS INTO HOW THE PANDEMICIMPACTS THOSE WHO LIVE IN --WORK IN -- OR HAVE A LOVED ONEIN THESE HOMES.INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER PAULACHRISTIAN FOUND THAT 28-HUNDRED RESIDENTS OF LONG-TERMCARE FACILITIES IN OHIO---INCLUDING NURSING HOMES---HAVEDIED OF COVID-19 SO FAR THISYEAR.

BUT áWHERE THEY DIED --IS A SECRET."This is the silent aspect ofthe pandemic."IN APRIL, JOYGAZAWAY LOST HER 60-YEAR-OLDBROTHER DONALD GAZAWAY.

HISDEATH CERTIFICATE SAYS HE DIEDOF COVID----HE DIED THREEWEEKS AFTER GOING INTO ANURSING HOME FOR REHAB AFTER ASTROKE.

BECAUSE OF THEPANDEMIC, SHE DELAYED AMEMORIAL SERVICE UNTIL TWOWEEKS AGO.BUT HIS FAMILY WORRIES THATHIS DEATH WILL BEFORGOTTEN."Yes fortunately the governorhas put the statistics on thewebsite but they don't tellthe whole story."GAZWAY DIEDIN THE PLEASANT RIDGE CARECENTER ON APRIL 19TH---THESTATE'S WEBSITE SAYS IT HAD 41CASES OF COVID SINCE APRIL 15.BUT IT DOES NOT SAY HOW MANYRESIDENTS HAVE DIEDTHERE."Families can't go on thatsite and see how manyfatalities.

How many peopledied while they were stayingin a particular facility."HAROLD SOSNA---PLEASANT RIDGECARE CENTER'S OWNER---OFFERSMORE CONTEXT TO WHAT HAPPENEDAT HIS NURSING HOME EARLY INTHE PANDEMIC.

IN A STATEMENTTO THE ITEAM HE SAYS IN PART,"THE STAFF WAS HEROIC WHILEBATTLING A SIGNIFICANT ANDSUDDEN OUTBREAK DESPITE VERYLIMITED PPE.

MULTIPLE PATIENTSGOT VERY SICK IN A VERY SHORTPERIOD OFTIME."GOVERNOR DEWINE HAS ARGUEDTHAT INFORMATION IS PRIVATEUNDER STATE LAW.

BUT IN ANEXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH OURCLEVELAND SISTER STATION THISWEEK, DEWINE SAYS HE'S WILLINGTO ASK OHIO DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH ATTORNEYS TORECONSIDER."I've questioned this beforeand I'm going back to thelawyers to say Look do youreally think this is aviolation of current federallaw and current statelaw.

"And we'll get back toyou on this."OTHER STATES SUCHAS MICHIGAN, PENNYSLVANIA,KENTUCKY AND INDIANA DORELEASE THAT INFORMATION.ELAINE RYAN, VICE PRESIDENTFOR STATE ADVOCACY AT THEAARP, IS CALLING FOR MORETRANSPARENCY IN OHIO."Only in knowing what's goingon in those facilities can youmake the best judgment onbehalf of your loved ones."THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NOWREQUIRES NURSING HOMES TOREPORT ALL COVID DEATHS.

BUTTHAT INFORMATION ISN'T EASY TOFIND AND IT MAY NOT BEACCURATE.I FOUND IT HERE BURIED IN ADATABASE MAINTAINED BY THECENTERS FOR MEDICARE ANDMEDICAID.

BUT THEY ONLYREQUIRED NURSING HOMES TOREPORT STARTING INMAY---SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER THEPANDEMIC STARTED.AND,GAZAWAY'S DEATH IS NOTINCLUDED SINCE HE DIED INAPRIL.IT LISTS THE NUMBER OFCOVID DEATHS AT PLEASANT RIDGECARE CENTER WHERE HE DIED ---AT ZERO.THE ITEAM REVIEWED THIS DATATO FIND OUT WHICH OHIO NURSINGHOMES HAD THE MOST COVIDDEATHS.

OF THOSE 11FACILITIES, 9 OF THEM HADBELOW AVERAGE STAFFING RATING,ACCORDING TO MEDICARE.

NONE OFTHIS SURPRISES BOB VINES.

HE'SMANGING OMBUDSMAN FOR PROSENIORS--A NON-PROFIT ADVOCACYGROUP."Staffing was an issue beforeCOVID of course.Now I wouldimagine its even moredifficult."HE SAYS HE'SGETTING MORE CALLS NOW THANWHEN THE PANDEMIC BEGAN ABOUTCOLD MEALS AND LACK OFATTENTION."People aren't getting baths,their nail care isn't gettingdone, they're not getting anyincontinent care that theyneed."OHIO HEALTH CAREASSOCIATION DIRECTOR PETE VANRUNKLE SAYS STAFFING IS MORECHALLENGING THAN EVER FOR SOMENURSING HOMES."They're losing staff and youknow we try to replace thembut again that's not alwayseasy when we have a pandemicgoing on." VAN RUNKLE TOLD THEI-TEAM IN AN INTERVIEW LASTMONTH THAT HE WOULDN'T OPPOSEIT IF OHIO BEGAN MAKING COVIDDEATH RATES AT EACH NURSINGHOME PUBLIC.

THAT'S EXACTLYWHAT JOY GAZAWAY HOPES FOR.("So I do appreciate what WCPOhas done and tried to pushthis issue because we need tohave that information."ENDWITH NAT SOUND OFFUNERALPAULA CHRISTIAN, WCPO NINE I-TEAM.IN AUGUST -- WCPO 9 AND OTHERLOCAL NEWS ORGANIZATIONS SUEDTHE STATE -- SEEKING THERELEASE OF DATA REGARDINGCOVID DEATH RATES AT NURSINGHOMES.

YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUTTHAT IN PAULA'S STORY ONWCPO.C