Looking into the Kingston Healthcare Center

Nearly two weeks ago 23ABC first reported concerns about a local nursing home and complaints from residents.

Since then, Kkern County Public Health has announced a total of 41 people associated with the Kingston Healthcare Facility have tested positive for COVID-19.

23ABC's Alex Bell has updates on what the facility is saying about the positive tests and what's being done to protect residents.

OVERWHELMING AMOUNT OF COVID-19CASES... THE CALIFORNIADEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH SAYSTHEY'VE SENT A STRIKETEAM OF NURSES TO HELP STOP THESPREAD.STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY AS OFAPRIL 30 THERE HAVE BEEN 16RESIDENTS AND 35 STAFF MEMBERSWHO HAVE TESTED POSITIVEFOR COVID-19 AT THE KINGSTONHEALTHCARE CENTER LOCATEDIN SOUTHWEST BAKERSFIELD.AND THE KERN COUNTY DEPARTMENTOF PUBLIC HEALTHSAYS ON FRIDAY..

KINGSTONREQUESTED IMMEDIATE HELPWITH STAFFING SHORTAGES.

BYSATURDAY NIGHT 35 HEALTHCAREPROFESSIONALS THROUGHOUT THESTATE WERE SENT TO ASSIST THEFACILITY.... AND THOSE STAFFMEMBERS WILL REMAIN IN PLACEUNTIL KINGSTON CAN RELIABLYPROVIDE ADEQUATESTAFFING.IN A STATEMENT SENT TO 23ABC ,THE NURSING HOME SAYS THEYARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITHHEALTH OFFIIALS TO MANAGECONFIRMED CASES.

AND QUOTE ..."CALIFORNIADEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH ISON-SITE DAILY AT THE CENTER ANDWORKING TOGETHER WITH CENTERSTAFF TO ENSUREINFECTION CONTROL PROCESS AREBEING FOLLOWEDAND ASSISTING WITH SOME STAFFINGNEEDS."THEY'VE SAY THEY ALSO INCREASEDTHEIR HOUSEKEEPINGSERVICES AND CURRENTLY HAVEAPPROPRIATE PERSONALPROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT FOR STAFF.ATTORNEY MATTHEW CLARK SAYSFAMILIES WITH LOVED ONEIN THE KINGSTON FACILITY HAVEREACHED OUT TO HIS LAW FIRMABOUT THE QUALITY OF CARE SINCETHE COVID PANDEMIC.SOT: "LOOK I UNDERSTAND,FAMILIES ARE FRUSTRATED.

IMEAN IMAGINE FOR A MOMENT HAVINGA LOVED ONE IN A ELDERCARE FACILITY.

AND YOU KNOWBASED ON THE MEDIASREPORTING THAT THERE'S A COVIDOUTBREAK WITHIN THAT FACILITYANDYOU CAN'T EVEN GO IN AND SEEYOUR LOVED ONE." MATTHEWCLARK, PARTNER AT CHAIN COHNSTILES PARTNERHE SAYS OVER THE LAST THREEYEARS HIS FIRM HAS HAD AROUNDA HALF DOES CASES AGAINST THEFACILITY.IN FACT, 23ABC REPORTED BACK ONAPRIL 24TH DOCUMENTSWHICH SHOWED THE CALIFORNIADEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTHCITED THE KINGSTON HEALTH CAREFACILITY MORE THAN 14SEPARATE TIMES SINCE 2015.

JUSTWITHIN THE LAST SIX MONTHS THEYWERE ALSO CITED WITH A DOUBLE-ACITATION, WHICH IS CONSIDEREDONE OF THE MOST SERIOUSVIOLATIONS.SOT: ALL OF THOSE CASES, SO ANYCASE WE'VE HAD AGAINSTKINGSTON OR ANY OTHER ELDER CAREFACILITY FOR THAT MATTERIT ALMOST RESULTS FROMINADEQUATE STAFFING.

ITS ANINADEQUATE AMOUNT OF STAFFINGTHAT LEADS TO POORPATIENT CARE, POOR PATIENT CARELEADS TO POOR PATIENTOUTCOMES, POOR PATIENT OUTCOMESESPECIALLY IN THEELDER CARE WORLD OFTEN TIMESLEADS TO DEATH." MATTHEWCLARK, PARTNER AT CHAIN COHNSTILES PARTNERCLARK ALSO SAYS THE BEST WAY FORPEOPLE TO REVIEW NURSINGHOMES IS MY GOING TOMEDICARE.GOV... HERE YOU CANLOOK UP ANY SKILLED NURSINGFACILITY AND CHECK THEIRRATINGS, QUALITY OF CARE ANDSTAFFING RATIOS.HOWEVER, WHEN 23ABC CHECKEDKINGSTON'S PROFILE THEIRRATINGS HAD BEEN REMOVED... ANDTHEIR SITE WAS LISTED AS ANSPECIAL FOCUS FACILITY .ACCORDING TO THE SITEFACILITIES RECEIVE THIS ICON IFA NURSING HOME HAS HAD AHISTORY OF PERSISTENT POORQUALITY OF CARE... AND THEYARE NOW SUBJECTED TO MOREINSPECTIONS ANDPOTENTIAL TERMINATION FROMMEDICARE AND MEDICAIDAMONG OTHER THINGS.ALL DOCUMENTS ABOUT CITATIONSAGAINST THE FACILITY AREPOSTED ON OUR WEBSITE TURNTO23.REPORTING IN BAKERSFIELD, I'MALEX BELL WITH 23ABC NEWSCONNECTING YOU.NOW TO THE LATEST NUMBERSRELEASED BY THE KERN COUNTY