Florida working hard to protect veterans in its care from the coronavirus | Opinion

As executive director of the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs, I have the honor of overseeing an organization that strives every day to repay the sacrifices that the state’s 1.5 million veterans made for our nation. We operate a network of six state veterans’ nursing homes and one domiciliary. More than 1,000 dedicated professionals work tirelessly to provide exceptional care to our veterans, including the almost 800 who call our facilities home.

Providing loving care to resident veterans is our most important goal and an immense responsibility. Their safety and welfare are our top priorities.

For the past few weeks, the nation has endured a global crisis unlike anything we’ve experienced. A widespread pandemic, seemingly following none of the patterns of past outbreaks, has taken the lives of more than 69,000 Americans while infecting more than 1 million more. Most of the country has ground to a halt; millions of Americans are faced with economic uncertainty. However, no one should not let fear of the unknown make this challenging situation worse.

Under Gov. Ron DeSantis’ leadership, FDVA is working in conjunction with state and local authorities to minimize the threat to residents and staff in its long-term care facilities. Since the beginning of March, FDVA has been screening all staff, visitors and vendors to the network of state veterans’ homes. On March 11, the governor made the difficult decision to restrict all visitor access to our homes, with the exception of those whose relative is receiving end-of-life care.

With enhanced cleaning protocols in place, our goal is to eliminate as much risk to residents and staff as possible while continuing to provide skilled and compassionate care to the veterans. This “no visitor” policy was undertaken to safeguard our predominantly older resident population, many of whom have multiple complex health conditions that make them particularly vulnerable to complications from infection.

Our outstanding healthcare workers are on the front lines waging a war against an invisible enemy. The unsettling reality they face every day is knowing that, despite everyone’s best efforts, there is simply no guarantee COVID-19 will not enter their facility. There are individuals testing positive for COVID-19 who are asymptomatic. The fight against this virus is an evolving one. We learn something new every day, and it is our job to respond accordingly.

Even after enacting these proactive measures in FDVA facilities, it was not enough to prevent the virus from entering the veterans’ home in Broward County. At least 14 residents in this home have tested positive for COVID-19. We also recently announced, with deep sadness, the deaths of four of hospitalized veterans because of complications from COVID-19.

It has been more than a month since FDVA restricted visitor access to its nursing facilities. We understand the difficulty of being kept from physical contact with beloved family members. We also believe that sustained communication with relatives and their guardians is essential. Many are using cell phones, tablets and computers to see and speak with their loved ones, and we encourage those efforts. Please continue to reach out and we’ll do everything possible on our end to facilitate communications between our residents and their friends and families. I appreciate the spirit of understanding we receive from family and guardians of our residents.

I could not be more proud of the leadership and dedication of FDVA employees in our facilities. Theirs is a daunting task of balancing a commitment to sustained communication with the community and maintaining the delivery of excellent care that residents and their loved ones expect.

They have families, too, but they march forward despite the risks to serve those who served us.

Now, more than ever, it’s important for us to come together to face this challenge head on. Americans are always strongest when they are brought to their knees as a country, because they always bounce back more resilient, more united and more determined than before.

We need to rally around our healthcare professionals, especially those in long-term care facilities, as they struggle to overcome this unprecedented national crisis. Those on the front lines need to know that we stand with them and appreciate their hard work.

Former state Rep. Danny Burgess is executive director of the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs and is an Army Reserve captain.