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Investigation suggests “probable cause” in COVID-19 workplace discrimination case of former Canandaigua nursing home employee

The New York State Division of Human Rights has ruled that “probable cause” exists in a workplace discrimination complaint that had been filed almost a year ago by a former employee at one of New ... more
INVESTIGATION: What role did lobbying play in preventing critical nursing home bills from getting through legislature?

“In today's regulatory environment, health care providers are forced to navigate within a labyrinth of complex governmental regulations, and one wrong can carry drastic consequences.” The coronavirus pandemic clamped down on Albany last summer, bringing ... more
Nursing home workers put in tough spot after lengthy stay on unemployment during Coronavirus Pandemic

The pandemic has crippled the economy and working eligible labor forces across the nation, especially here in New York, which has accrued a 12.9-percent unemployment rate statewide according to the state's Department of Labor latest ... more
EXCLUSIVE: AG’s probe into Elm Manor nursing home still active despite investigator’s apparent retirement

Last Tuesday, Jen Sims received an unexpected call from a familiar voice: Art Vasile, an investigator with the Office of the Attorney General who's stationed out of the Rochester regional office, or formerly at least ... more
FOIL request on nursing homes in Ontario County fulfilled after 87 days

Eighty-seven days have passed, and our Freedom of Information Law request has finally been completed. FingerLakes1.com has received 171-pages worth of emails from the servers of the Ontario County Public Health office on Friday, September ... more
Lawmakers call for commission on nursing home death toll in New York

There are still a lot of unanswered questions regarding the Novel Coronavirus. Particularly, in nursing homes, where death counts are still a murky, foggy subject in Albany. Even after hearings were held, state officials have ... more
Still waiting for Ontario County to fulfill FOIL request on nursing home communications 11 weeks later

Almost 11 weeks have passed since FingerLakes1.com's initial Freedom of Information Law request for key documentation connected to COVID-19 response and a pair of troubled nursing homes in Ontario County. To date, the newsroom has ... more
Personnel changes reported at Elm Manor after investigative series

Today the nursing industry is far from stable, especially here in New York State, but personnel shifts are bound to occur. Turnover has become commonplace inside nursing facilities with frontline workers still actively combatting the ... more
UPDATE: Ontario County still hasn’t answered our FOIL request about Ontario Center, Elm Manor nursing homes

Thirty-eight business days have passed since FingerLakes1.com filed a Freedom of Information Law request with Ontario County, which still has gone unanswered. The expansive FOIL request in size and scope seeks to gather email correspondences ... more
Lawmakers voice concerns at hearing on nursing home policy amid COVID-19 pandemic

This first part of the joint Senate-Assembly public hearings on the state’s COVID-19 response inside nursing homes concluded on Monday, revealing lessons for upstate New York representatives ahead of the next hearing slated for August ... more
Previewing major public hearings in Albany over COVID-19 response in nursing homes

A few days from now the highly-anticipated two-part public hearing on the response of nursing homes amid the Coronavirus Pandemic will take place. Ahead of that, which kicks off on Monday, New York State Sen ... more
DAILY DEBRIEF: Sen. Ortt talks nursing homes, impact executive orders had on health and safety of residents (podcast)

While Gov. Andrew Coumo is content with his track record and efforts to contain the Novel Coronavirus or COVID-19 in nursing homes across New York State, lawmakers are not sold on those policies. This includes ... more
FOILS ON THE FOURTH: Questions loom as investigation into Ontario Center remains open

Today is the Fourth of July, a celebration of freedom – and in honor of this federal holiday, several Freedom of Information Law requests have been filed by our newsroom over the last few days ... more
State Department of Health makes unannounced visit to Ontario Center, says investigation into facility underway

When Ontario Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare employees walked through the doors of the facility on Thursday, the New York State Department of Health did, too. The state’s Department of Health arrived at the center ... more
DAILY DEBRIEF: Investigation into Ontario Center prompts state bill to address nursing home, COVID issues (podcast)

On the heels of our reporting into Ontario Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare in Canandaigua, State Senator Pam Helming [R-54] announced that she would co-sponsor legislation to establish an independent and bipartisan commission to investigate ... more
What did local health officials know about Ontario Center problems in Canandaigua?

What did officials in Ontario County know about Ontario Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare in Canandaigua? Over the last several days, an investigative series into the facility has uncovered a multitude of apparent shortcomings by ... more
DAILY DEBRIEF: Housekeeper who walked away from Ontario Center speaks out (podcast)

Connie Helker says she was the first employee to test positive for COVID-19 at the Ontario Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare, earning the nickname "COVID Connie" among some of her peers. As a front desk ... more
Housekeeper speaks out about Ontario Center, as concerns raised about COVID response were ignored

It wasn’t a bad April Fool’s joke. There’s nothing funny about it. Kelsea Flynn, a former housekeeper at Ontario Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare has come forward after recently walking-out on her former employer after ... more
Ontario Center employee had to develop his own COVID safety protocols as pandemic ripped through facility

“They were my friends,” Bill "Beard" Corino said. “Those people became my friends.” As a maintenance worker and driver, Corino spent more than two-hours each day, three times a week in one-on-one scenarios with residents ... more