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Trending Health Corner National News
After a Deadly COVID Outbreak, a Maryland County Takes Steps to Protect Health Workers
tampafp.com December 4, 2020 No Comments
A Maryland health department is taking new steps to protect its workers six months after a COVID-19 outbreak killed a veteran employee who was twice denied permission to work from home.
Chantee Mack, 44, died in May. More than 20 colleagues also caught the coronavirus, and some are suffering lasting problems.
Prince George's County Health Department employee Chantee Mack (right) did not work on the county's pandemic response, but she was deemed an essential employee for her work on sexually transmitted diseases. She was denied permission twice this spring to work from home. She contracted the virus amid an outbreak at the department and died in May. Her brother Roland Mack (left) says he can't understand why her requests were denied, given that her work consisted mainly of paperwork, computer work and phone calls. (ROLAND MACK)
Now, after a KHN and Associated Press story in July spurred an investigation, Prince George's County officials say they have added an appeals process to their work-at-home policy and hired a consultant to identify "operational and management needs for improvement" in the department. Union officials say the county has also made personal protective equipment, such as masks and gloves, more available in recent months and put a greater emphasis on social distancing.
"We're getting somewhere," said Rhonda Wallace, leader of a local branch of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees. "But we're not there yet."
In an email to KHN, health department spokesperson George Lettis said officials can't release results of the county investigation because of personnel and medical information. But a county official's letter to Wallace shares the inquiry's main conclusions: that the health department tried to get PPE in early March and advised employees about social distancing and proper hygiene via a newsletter.
"It must not be overlooked that this was a rapidly evolving situation," said the letter from Dr. George Askew, deputy chief administrative officer for health, human services and education. "Best efforts were made to keep the community and Health Department employees safe and informed during this unprecedented time." The letter does not acknowledge any lapses made by the county.
Some employees argue the investigation didn't delve into the circumstances around Mack's death and say the county should publicly acknowledge its role in what happened. At a news conference in July, County Executive Angela Alsobrooks said Mack's death "deserves an investigation" and the county would "spare no time or expense."
Mack, who worked in the department's sexually transmitted diseases program, was denied permission to work from home in March even though she had health problems that put her at high risk for COVID-19 complications.
At least three other employees whose requests to work from home were denied around that time also got sick. Revonda Watts, a nurse and program manager, said she was allowed to work from home for one day before being called back to the office. Some of these employees worked face-to-face with the public at least part of the time.
A union document obtained by KHN detailed a conference call by department managers in which Diane Young, an associate director, laid out criteria for working from home, such as being 65 or older or having small children. She said decisions would be made case by case.
Meanwhile, protective masks, gowns and other safety equipment were in short supply nationally and at the health department, which distributed them only to certain workers. In early April, when Young asked Watts about PPE needs, Watts wrote in an email obtained by KHN: "N-95 masks are needed for all staff. We were given 1 mask to reuse. We have no face shields for the clinicians nor do we have gowns."
Young responded that even though goggles were available, "face shields and gowns are in limited supply and will be used for those who are testing patients for COVID-19."
Several employees described meetings and "morning huddles" in the office in March and April held without social distancing and during which few, if any, participants wore masks.
One employee after another got sick.
Watts, who is 58 and has asthma, developed bronchitis on top of COVID-19, then chest pain from spasms in her blood vessels. She spread the virus to her adult daughter.
Administrative aide Natania Bowen also spread the virus to her family, including her husband and 7-year-old daughter, who have since recovered. Bowen, a 47-year-old with asthma, experienced a bacterial lung infection along with COVID-19.
Receptionist Yolanda Potter, 53, had severe headaches for a month from her coronavirus infection. She developed a blood clot in her right leg and had to inject blood thinners into her stomach for 45 days to prevent it from breaking off and traveling to her lungs or brain. She and Carolyn Ferguson, an X-ray tech now on desk duty, suffer ongoing memory problems, while Bowen continues to have lung issues.
While Bowen now works from home, Watts, Potter and Ferguson are back at the office. As of mid-November, Lettis said, 141 health department employees were working fully on-site, 68 partly on-site and 196 at home.
Employees said they are pleased that social distancing is now the norm in the health department, that more places to sanitize hands exist and that PPE is easier to get. They're also hopeful about the new policy on remote work.
The countywide rules include two levels of review for work-at-home requests: one by a supervisor and another by a higher-up boss who must give a reason if a worker's request is denied. The employee can then ask the Office for Human Resource Management to review the denial.
Despite such measures, some employees still worry about contracting COVID-19 at work, especially as the state's COVID dashboard puts the county's cumulative caseload over 42,000.
Several employees are seeking long-term disability leave or talking to lawyers about getting workers' compensation. Watts said she is awaiting a workers' comp hearing and has asked again for permission to work from home as she deals with crushing fatigue and numbness in her legs and hands. Since returning to the office, she said, she has had to bring her own mask from home.
"I get frustrated with not being able to just bounce back," she said. The health department officials "really let us down and didn't do their due diligence to make sure the staff was protected."
This story is a collaboration between The Associated Press and KHN.
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The conveyancer who assisted with my former purchase has sent a quote for just over a thousand pound for leasehold conveyancing in Edgbaston. I am hoping to sell a purpose built property for £200,000. Are the quoted fees excessive? Is it above the average fee for conveyancing in Edgbaston?
The charges are a little high. If you are prepared to invest time contrasting costs you may be able to get the conveyancing a bit cheaper by as much as a hundred pounds. That being said, you maylive to regret choosing an a cheaper solicitor. Don't forget to be sure that the firm can act for your lender. Do utilise our search tool to locate a Edgbaston conveyancing practice on the banks approved list of lawyers which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Edgbaston.
The Edgbaston conveyancing solicitors that I appointed last week on my purchase in Edgbaston have suddenly shut down. I only went with them because I needed a lawyer on the RBS conveyancing panel and my family Edgbaston lawyer was not. I paid them money in advance. What do I do now?
If you have an estate agent involved then let them know straight away so that they can let the sellers know that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Most sellers would be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the RBS conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new lawyers may be able to assist.
three months have gone by since my purchase conveyancing in Edgbaston concluded. I have checked the Land Registry website which shows that I paid £175,000 when infact I paid £180,000. Why the discrepancy?
I am buying a new build house in Edgbaston benefiting from help to buy. The sellers refused to move on the price so I negotiated £7000 of fixtures and fittings instead. The estate agent advised me not reveal to my solicitor about this extras as it would jeopardize my mortgage with the bank. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.
I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and found one close by in Edgbaston I like with open areas and railway links in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 49 years on the lease. There is not much else in Edgbaston in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a lease with such few years left?
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Variety' Snow White' actress set for Voltage action pic.
"Snow White and the Huntsman" star Kristen Stewart is set to topline "Cali," a gritty action pic set in Los Angeles that will be produced by Voltage Productions and New School Media.
Michael Diliberti ("30 Minutes or Less") wrote the script, which follows Mya (Stewart) and Chris, a pair of San Fernando Valley lovebirds with a penchant for bad choices and dangerous behavior. After selling a fake snuff film featuring Mya, they ride off into the sunset with a bundle of cash. Years later, Mya must "return from the dead" to save the younger sister she left behind in Cali, where the young couple contends with angry former business partners, homicidal porn stars, stoner vet techs, an unstoppable killing machine in a cowboy hat and their own contentious relationship.
Craig J. Flores ("300") and Zev Foreman ("Killer Joe") will produce for Voltage, while Diliberti will also produce. His manager, Brian Levy of New School Media, will exec produce with Voltage topper Nicolas Chartier ("The Hurt Locker") and Stewart, who will pick up her first producing credit on the project.
Diliberti developed the script on spec before it was acquired by Voltage, which attached Stewart. Producers are currently out to directors and they're anticipating a late summer start date.
"Kristen is a talented and dynamic actor, with a proven box office draw," said Flores. "Her role in 'Cali' will be edgy and sexy. It will no doubt push the envelope on the public's view of Kristen's wide-ranging abilities. Voltage is thrilled to have her as a partner on this fantastic film."
"Cali" marks a return to indie fare for Stewart, who has balanced the "Twilight" franchise pics like "Welcome to the Rileys," "The Runaways" and Walter Salles' upcoming adaptation of "On the Road." Thesp next stars in Universal's "Snow White and the Huntsman" and the final installment in "The Twilight Saga," which Summit will release on Nov. 16.
Diliberti is coming off the seven-figure spec sale to GK Films of comedy "Little White Corvette," which has Emma Stone attached to star. Scribe is also writing a Fox 2000 project for "Crazy, Stupid, Love" helmers John Requa and Glenn Ficarra that Simon Kinberg is producing, a Sony pic for Seth Gordon that Matt Tolmach is producing and a Warner Bros. movie for Todd Phillips with his Green Hat Films banner producing.
Voltage, which produced Kathryn Bigelow's Oscar winner "The Hurt Locker," is currently in pre-production on Shia LaBeouf-starrer "The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman" and post-production on Robert Redford's political action-thriller "The Company You Keep," which also stars LaBeouf. Stewart is repped by Gersh and McKuin, Frankel and Whitehead, while WME and New School Media reps Diliberti.
The Wrap Michael Diliberti, who penned "30 Minutes or Less," wrote the script with Stewart in mind for the role of Mya.
"She has a great balance between strength and sexiness that is perfect for this character," Zev Foreman, head of development at Voltage, told TheWrap. Foreman is producing with colleague Craig Flores and Dilberti. via fiercebitchstew
Labels: Cali

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