TOMMY CALVERT

Bexar County Commissioner, Precinct 4

April 15, 2020

Honorable Nelson Wolff

County Judge, Bexar County
101 W. Nueva, Floor 10
San Antonio, TX 78205

Dear Judge Wolff:

Attached, are copies of the staffing sheets at the Southeast Nursing Home and Rehab
Center. In short, they have operated days where they have 2 nurses and 1 CNA for taking
care of 50 positive COVID19 patients and approximately 68 total clients. The nursing
staff are not able to take care of them and believe that the virus is in certain mattresses
that have had state orders to throw away dating back two years. While patients have
fever, here are photos of the high thermostat the evening of April 14, 2020, where at
11:06 p.m. after receiving a live shot of the thermostat, it is 57 degrees outside and 77
degrees inside the nursing home. There are also photos of mattresses where the State of
Texas listed the date they are to be removed for replacement but has not followed
through.

These patients are not being fed, given liquids, having their waste properly taken care of,
and are being left to die. These are my constituents and this is not acceptable care to me
nor the people WE represent. Senior citizens have paid their fare share of taxes to the
state, county and city and now have a right to have proper healthcare. Please have them
sent to the Texas Center for Infectious Disease for proper care or ensure that
through your emergency powers and the emergency powers of the Governor they
have the proper number of nurses to help these patients cope with their acute care
needs.

If we can shut down a vape business for violating public health rules, we can surely stop
the disgusting greed and inhumanity that has led to 2 nurses and 1 CNA to take care of 68
senior citizens. While the State of Texas regulates these facilities and needs to sanction
the owners for this and other violations, we simply cannot wait to shut things down
because their actions are serving as a launching pad for the spreading of this disease to
the Southeast side.
For example, the company is not providing food to its employees on premises. This
means that if volunteers don’t drop off food (nurses organized to do that for the
employees), then the low-number of nurses present have to go out to restaurants in our
Southeast side neighborhoods, even though many have tested positive for COVID19—
exposing restaurant employees and citizens to community spread.

This has to be a multi-level governmental effort to crack down in the next 24 hours as the
poor Level 1 service rating has not elevated at all--even though government and the press
are watching.

This company has access to other nurses and employees through its 47 other locations
and soliciting contract nurses, but it has not chosen to properly staff these nursing home
patrons. It has been 3-5 days since some of these seniors have had showers according to
the staff at the facility.

The nurses spend holidays, birthdays, and make personal connection with these residents
and they are begging us for action. Let’s show the world that San Antonio takes care of
its senior citizens and send a message that this low level of care will not go unabated by
public system neglect and complacency. We are better than this in Bexar County.

I have an audio recording from a nurse inside that I have personally known for years.

Sincerely,

Tommy Calvert, Jr.

Bexar County Commissioner, Precinct 4

CC: Dr. Junda Woo, City of San Antonio

Dr. Colleen Bridger, City of San Antonio
Chief Charles Hood, City of San Antonio
Kyle Coleman, Bexar County
David Smith, Bexar County
Governor Greg Abbott
Senator Pete Flores, District 19
Rep. Roland Gutierrez, District 119
State Commission on Elderly/Nursing Homes/Healthcare
Seth Mitchell. Bexar County
Eric Epley, STRAC