Nursing Home Residents Sick with Virus
By Mick Trevey

GREENFIELD - Health officials are waiting for laboratory test results that will identify a mystery illness at Mount Carmel Health and Rehabilitation Center.

Twenty one people have the unidentified respiratory sickness.  In a statement, Mount Carmel identified the illness as a virus.

According to Greenfield's health officer, the symptoms are minor and no one has been hospitalized.  However, the Greenfield Health Department hopes test results will provide insight into why the sickness spread.

The executive director of Mount Carmel, Gerard Bodalski, declined an interview but released the following written statement:

"We have been communicating with the County Health Department concerning some respiratory symptoms affecting some of the residents on one of our units.  We have been in contact with each resident's physician and in consultation with the physicians we have conducted some tests to determine the nature of the symptoms.

"It appears that we have some cases of a respiratory virus.  In consultation with the residents' physicians we are providing appropriate medical treatment.  We will continue to communicate with the Health Department and work with them to protect the health of our residents."

Mount Carmel has had problems in the past and has a low rating in the Medicare.gov online nursing home database.  For the "overall rating" category, Mount Carmel received one out of five stars and is considered "much below average" according to the site.  In the "health inspections" category, Mount Carmel also received one out of five possible stars.

Attorney Jeff Pitman has sued Mount Carmel for problems.  "Their reputation is not very good," he said. "They have a reputation and they have been cited many times over many years."

Mount Carmel is part of Kentucky-based Kindred Healthcare.