09.21.15

Durbin Asks Federal Government to Look into Legionnaires Outbreak at Veterans Facility in Quincy

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today asked the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to make certain that the Illinois Veterans’ Home-Quincy is taking the proper steps to provide a high quality of care to our veterans and to prevent any future outbreaks.  A recent Legionnaires’ disease outbreak at the facility has so far resulted in 13 deaths—12 of them being residents of the state veterans’ home—and an additional 54 people testing positive for the disease. 

   

“The Illinois Veterans’ Home-Quincy is the largest and oldest veterans’ home in Illinois, providing long-term care for veterans and their families since its inception in 1886,” wrote Durbin.  “However, the size of the Illinois Veterans’ Home-Quincy’s campus and the age of its infrastructure and plumbing have made it particularly difficult to track the source of the outbreak.  Those most at risk to this bacteria are seniors and individuals with other medical conditions, such as those at the Illinois Veterans’ Home-Quincy.  The extent of this outbreak and the resulting deaths raises important questions about the capacity of the facility to provide the standard of care veterans deserve.”

   

Text of today’s letter is below

   

September 21, 2015

    

Secretary Robert A. McDonald                                              Secretary Sylvia Burwell
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs                                     U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

810 Vermont Avenue, NW                                                     200 Independence Ave, SW

Washington, DC 20420                                                          Washington, DC 20201

   

Dear Secretary McDonald and Secretary Burwell:

   

The recent Legionnaires’ disease outbreak at the Illinois Veterans’ Home-Quincy has so far resulted in 13 deaths—12 of them being residents of the state veterans’ home—and an additional 54 people testing positive for the disease.  I urge the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Health and Human Services to look into whether proper steps are being taken to provide a high quality of care to our veterans at the facility and whether the age and condition of the Illinois Veterans’ Home-Quincy contributed to the outbreak.  I also urge your departments to work with the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to prevent such an outbreak in the future.

   

The Illinois Veterans’ Home-Quincy is the largest and oldest veterans’ home in Illinois, providing long-term care for veterans and their families since its inception in 1886.  Since the disease was detected, IDVA, IDPH, and the Adams County Health Department continue to work with home staff to identify and mitigate the source of the outbreak, implement control measures to prevent additional infections, as well as provide medical care for those experiencing respiratory illness. 

   

However, the size of the Illinois Veterans’ Home-Quincy’s campus and the age of its infrastructure and plumbing have made it particularly difficult to track the source of the outbreak.  Those most at risk to this bacteria are seniors and individuals with other medical conditions, such as those at the Illinois Veterans’ Home-Quincy.  The extent of this outbreak and the resulting deaths raises important questions about the capacity of the facility to provide the standard of care veterans deserve.

   

The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Health and Human Services should ensure the Illinois Veterans’ Home-Quincy is taking the proper steps to provide a high quality of care to our veterans and to prevent such an outbreak in the future. 

   

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. 

   

Sincerely,

                                                                         

Richard J. Durbin

                                                                        United States Senator