While the horrible situation at the Holyoke Veteran’s Home has now passed, there have been legal ramifications. After reviewing the background materials and doing your own independent research, address the following in a 3- to 4-page paper:
On what grounds did the staff who contracted COVID-19 at the Soldiers Home sue?
On what grounds did residents who survived and family members of those who died have to sue?
What was the outcome of these cases, who was held responsible, and why?
How is the State of Massachusetts holding the administrators accountable?
Identify at least 2 ethical or legal principles that apply. Explain their significance.
Assignment Expectations
Conduct additional research to gather sufficient information to justify/support your strategic plan.
Limit your response to a maximum of 3 pages (title and reference pages are not included in page number count).
Support your report with peer-reviewed articles, using at least 3-4 references. Use the following link for additional information on how to recognize peer-reviewed journals:
http://www.angelo.edu/services/library/handouts/peerrev.php.
You may use Purdue OWL to assist in formatting your assignment:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/.
For additional information on reliability of sources, review the following source: Finding and Evaluating Online Resources – https://nccih.nih.gov/health/webresources.
This assignment will be graded based on the content in the rubric.
Required Reading
Andersen, T., & Alanez, T. (2022, Apr 30). New report criticizes tenure, oversight of Holyoke Soldiers’ Home official who presided over COVID outbreak. Boston Globe (Online) Retrieved from Trident University Library.
Beauchamp, T. (2010). The four principles approach to healthcare ethics. In Standing on principles: Collected essays (pp. 35-49). Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. Available in the Trident Online Library.
Blazer, D. G., & Hernandez, L. M., (2006). The impact of social and cultural environment on health. In Lyla M. Hernandez, & Dan G. Blazer (Eds.), Genes, behavior, and the social environment (pp. 25-43). National Academies Press. Retrieved from Trident University Library.
Court reinstates charges against leaders of veterans’ home (2023, Apr 27) AP. Retrieved from https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-massachusetts-soldiers-home-lawsuit-d23838334ff3bec11a5ab0926dea1598
Ingram, R. C., Scutchfield, F. D., Mays, G. P., & Bhandari, M. W. (2012). The economic, institutional, and political determinants of public health delivery system structures. Public Health Reports (1974), 127(2), 208-215. Retrieved from Trident University Library.
MacQuarrie, B., Andersen, T., & Krueger, H. (2021, Aug 17). Holyoke Soldiers’ Home worker files federal suit alleging ‘inhumane conditions’ during COVID outbreak. Boston Globe (Online). Retrieved from Trident University Library.
Mind Tools. (n.d.). PEST analysis: Identifying “big picture” opportunities and threats. Retrieved from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_09.htm
Pescaro, M. (2023, Mar 17) Holyoke Soldiers’ Home Employees Allege ‘Criminally Catastrophic Decisions’ in COVID Outbreak. Retrieved from https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/holyoke-soldiers-home-employees-allege-criminally-catastrophic-decisions-in-covid-outbreak/2999036/
Pratt, M. (2022, May 12) State settles with families of Holyoke Soldiers Home victims. AP. Retrieved from https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-lawsuits-massachusetts-1c0ad830ccdfa1c9adbce5d9bfd6f806
Wasser, M. (2020). Mass. wanted someone with health care experience to oversee Soldiers’ Homes. It never happened. WBUR. Retrieved from https://www.wbur.org/commonhealth/2020/05/11/soldiers-homes-holyoke-chelsea-executive-director
Ex-care home bosses charged over dozens of deaths in Massachusetts; more than 70 people have died of covid at home in Holyoke ex-superintendent is being made a scapegoat, lawyer says. (2020). The Guardian (London). Retrieved from Trident University Library.
