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PRESS RELEASE
Mayor Young and Health Commissioner Issue Update on FutureCare – Lochearn Cases
Pair outlines next steps at facility
BALTIMORE, MD. — Today, Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 at the FutureCare – Lochearn facility in Northwest Baltimore.
The Lochearn facility has recorded 129 confirmed cases among residents, and an additional 41 confirmed cases among staff members. FutureCare proactively implemented a process known as ‘widespread surveillance testing’ at the site. The testing monitors the intensity and spread of the disease in a community with high transmission. Many of the people who have tested positive are not symptomatic, but this proactive testing allows the medical staff to monitor, and also isolate positive patients.
The Baltimore City Health Department is working closely with the Maryland Department of Health, LifeBridge Health, and Johns Hopkins to address the positive cases at the facility.
“The Baltimore City Health Department is aware of the confirmed COVID-19 cases at the FutureCare – Lochearn location, and is working diligently with FutureCare management,” Mayor Young said. “I have spoken with Health Commissioner Dr. Letitia Dzirasa, and will continue to monitor the situation at this facility.”
Dr. Dzirasa has been leading the City’s response at FutureCare.
“We will continue to provide additional support as needed to help FutureCare support its patients and staff,” Dr. Dzirasa said.
To date, the following actions have been taken to address the outbreak at the facility:
- In conjunction with the Baltimore City Health Department, the Maryland Department of Health dispatched one of the State’s Strike Teams for Nursing Homes to the facility. The team is composed of members of the National Guard, representatives of local and state health departments, and EMS clinicians, as well as doctors and nurses from local hospital systems
- Baltimore City Health Department distributed personal protective equipment (PPE) from the Strategic National Stockpile and from the Maryland Department of Health’s PPE cache
- The State worked with the Baltimore City Health Department to conduct a site assessment, and helped coordinate efforts with LifeBridge Health and Johns Hopkins
- LifeBridge Health worked with FutureCare to test all of the residents and staff on site, and provided PPE.
- LifeBridge sent a medical survey team to provide recommendations to FutureCare management and to assist in establishing medical protocols.
“FutureCare’s highest priority continues to be the safety and well-being of our staff and residents, and we will continue to work diligently with the state and local health departments, our LifeBridge Health partners, and our Johns Hopkins infectious disease consultant, to protect our staff and residents,” said FutureCare Spokeswoman Holly O’Shea. “FutureCare has aggressively implemented infection control procedures and was an early adapter of visitation restriction, universal masking, and have implemented all of Governor Hogan’s orders."
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