In her first letter to residents and families at the New Hampshire Veterans Home, new Commandant Kimberly MacKay had to inform them of another outbreak at the facility.
On Tuesday morning, one of the residents at the home was experiencing symptoms that could be related to COVID. Multiple residents and staff members were tested, which found six positive cases among veterans.
“Public Health was notified and they have recommended an extensive resident testing program within our facility to ensure that COVID has not gone beyond the initial six positives,” MacKay wrote. “We concur with the testing schedule and will implement it.”
MacKay will succeed Margaret LaBrecque, the home’s Commandant since 2005. Both will work together this month as LaBreque’s last day is on Mar. 4. Afterward, she said she will continue to return as a volunteer.
MacKay worked for 15 years, most recently as the Deputy Nursing Home Administrator, at the state-run Glencliff Home for older adults with mental illness. She will be the 11th Commandant in the home’s 132-year history.
She will be taking the reigns during a difficult time for the nursing home.
Like many healthcare employers in New Hampshire, the facility is facing a staffing shortage in the face of the COVIDS crisis. In Dec. 2020, the home made a plea to the public to apply to work at the facility, as they faced staff shortages in nearly every position— security officers, food workers, maintenance crews, laundry workers, and nurses.
The Veterans Home has also struggled with incessant surges of COVID-19. In 2021, the home experienced one of the worst outbreaks in the state, infecting 93 residents and 102 staff, leading to 36 deaths.
During the outbreak, several family members raised concerns about the treatment of their loved ones, prompting an investigation from the Department of Health and Human Services
Though that outbreak happened more than a year ago, the impact of COVID-19 on the nursing home is far from over. In her letter on Tuesday MacKay informed family members that the home paused visits, social excursions and placed limits on recreation programs.