Holyoke Soldiers Home

2 Charged For Role In Veteran Coronavirus Deaths At Veterans Home

Two former leaders of a veterans home for elderly veterans were reportedly indicted for management decisions linked to dozens of coronavirus deaths.

The criminal prosecution is considered the first of its kind in the nation against two former Holyoke Soldiers’ Home leaders. The state-run facility saw one of the deadliest outbreaks at a long-term care facility in the country where at least 76 veteran residents died from COVID-19 according to the local CBS Boston.

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It seems likely similar prosecutions will follow across the country as both federal and state law enforcement officials are investigating treatment of the elderly during the first stages of the COVID-19 response nationwide.

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey made the announcement last Thursday. The charges were brought against former Superintended Bennet Walsh, 51, and Medical Director Dr. David Clinton, 71. The two will be arraigned at a later date in Hampden County Superior Court.

“It’s truly heartbreaking to think about how residents and staff suffered at this facility,” Healey said. “Walsh and Clinton were responsible for the decision to combine 42 veterans, some COVID positive and others not even showing any symptoms of COVID, into a single unit that usually accommodates 25.”

The grand jury indictments were apparently based the decision to move five asymptomatic veterans increased the risk of exposure to COVID-19 and the risk of harm and death. Three of the five contracted the virus including one veteran who died.

“We are alleging that Walsh and Clinton were ultimately responsible for the decision on March 27 that led to tragic and deadly results – the decision to consolidate two dementia units into one, which meant that symptomatic and COVID-positive residents were placed within feet of asymptomatic residents, exposing those residents,” she said. “This is a decision that put veterans who are asymptomatic at greater risk of contracting COVID-19 and at a higher risk of death.”

The AG made the following allegations, as reported by The Mercury News:

  • Staffing shortages contributed to the decision to consolidate two dementia units totaling 42 veterans;
  • Veterans who were positive or symptomatic for COVID-19 were placed six to a dormitory-style room instead of four veterans;
  • Veterans thought to be asymptomatic were placed in nine beds in the dining room;
  • Several veterans classified as asymptomatic were actually symptomatic at the time of the consolidation or shortly thereafter;
  • The dining room beds were only a few feet apart and next to the room where confirmed-positive cases were located;
  • Veterans in the consolidated units were allowed to intermingle regardless of infection status.

Walsh and Clinton each face five counts of “caretaker who wantonly or recklessly commits or permits abuse, neglect or mistreatment to an elder or disabled person” punishable by up to three years in jail. They were also charged with five counts of “caretaker who wantonly or recklessly commits or permits bodily injury to an elder or disabled person,” which carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

An attorney for Walsh defended the actions of the former superintendent.

“At all times, Mr. Walsh relied on the medical professionals to do what was best for the veterans given the tragic circumstances of a virus in a home with veterans in close quarters, severe staffing shortages, and the lack of outside help from state officials,” they said in a statement. “The Attorney General should not be scapegoating Mr. Walsh, who was on the front lines trying his best to do whatever he could to help the Veterans of the Holyoke Soldiers Home, including asking for help from state officials and the National Guard, which arrived much too late.”

A judge recently invalidated the decision to terminate Walsh’s employment by Gov. Charlie Baker.

Despite the “utterly baffling” decisions made by Walsh and his team as noted in an independent investigation report, the Baker administration apparently lacked the authority to terminate.

In light of the charges, it will be curious to see how the state government addresses Walsh’s potential role at Holyoke Soldiers’ Home in the future.

How many veterans died during this pandemic and lockdown nationwide from negligent or reckless leadership decisions?

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34 Comments

  1. LOL!
    Hey all! Check this out from 2:ish-8:ish”https://thehighwire.com/Watch/”, of course, when you have time the rest of the vid is informative as well.

  2. Here’s an interesting article about veterans suicide:
    *”https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/10/01/military-suicides-reached-all-time-high-2019-impact-of-covid-19-remains-unclear.html”*

    One of the statements was, quote: “Covid causes stress…”* Really! Ya think! Especially with all the misinformation, medical disputes and flat out LIES by the experts and mainstream medias!
    Then there’s the issue of the administrators, politicians and officers acting like dictators. Telling everyone to do what they want, then doing the opposite!
    This is enough to drive sane people insane!
    The inmates are now running the asylum!

  3. Dr Andrew Kaufman w/David Icke on False Positives and Operation Moonshot
    “https://lbry.tv/@DrAndrewKaufman:f/Dr-Andrew-Kaufman-w-David-Icke-on-False-Positives-and-Operation-Moonshot:5”

  4. VA Committee activities worth at least a glance! “https://veterans.house.gov/news/press-releases/table”

    Here’s a goodie tucked within one of the articles. “https://buddycarter.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6122” Trainee OJT is STILL more important than best care for the patient. Of course, supervision of some sort is included.

    To restore Veteran’s access to DBQ’s “https://luria.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-andy-barr-and-elaine-luria-lead-bipartisan-house-effort-pass-veterans”

    H.R.8247 – Veterans COMPACT Act of 2020 “https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/8247/text”

    H.R.7163 – VA FOIA Reform Act of 2020 “https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/7163/text?r=1”

    H.R.5843 – Strengthening Oversight for Veterans Act of 2020 “https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/5843/text?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22hr+5843%22%5D%7D&r=1&s=2”

    Calendar of VA Committee meetings “https://veterans.house.gov/events/hearings”
    Calendar of Congressional Committee meetings “https://www.congress.gov/search?q=%7B%22congress%22%3A116%2C%22source%22%3A%22committee-meetings%22%7D”

  5. Thirty percent uptick in suicides. “https://federalnewsnetwork.com/federal-newscast/2020/09/gao-delivers-a-tough-review-of-the-vas-community-care-program/”

    People, those with health care members in the family refuse to go public like their friends and family will not to keep their jobs/positions… to speak some truth or of patient abuse, to intentional deaths to occur. Been reports about that as well but soon censored or banned from the net.

    Too many different claims or reports. Well staffed VA care centers/CBOCs vs claims of no money or shortage of staff.

    The fix in some eyes is just more “sensitivity,” and “diversity” training?? Like those with severe issues or complaints are too afraid to offend someone now, or have known well of all the retaliation that comes from the medical communities/unions/VA/networks for anyone uttering negatives about them.

    “Tough reviews” the gangsters/the top/GAO demands/recommendations are not about what is truly needed like truth, ethics, rule of law, protections for patients. No, bring in the distractions and make sure no-one can be offended or turned in for killing patients, or over abuses? Sure cure… hire those who hate us for whatever reasons they have. There are too many activist and haters in all areas of health care today.

    Odd too is the amount of young teens and kids committing suicides, and in military families. They are setting up special hot-lines and clinics for that as well according to local news. There again no real news or stats are wanted, nor will we get them. I think there is more to it than disallowing military family’s to go home to attend granny’s or someones funeral, to visit dying relatives, or marriages.

    Seems the GAO like the Fed News have their own agendas too.

    1. I personally know the medical tyranny exists. Put it like this the public experienced under this virus what many of the veterans have experienced on a regular basis. The VA has been a mild to moderate form of Venezuela. It is true the healthcare is not medical care. Before the Obama administration, at least the private sector had better quality and lower costs. Now the healthcare system will label anybody with anything just to make thousands and millions of dollars. And if you refuse, they try to intimidate people with threatening they could be arrested. I have personally witnessed and viewed inhumane care with VA oversight regarding a vet and veterans. I personally believe the federal government needs to be removed out of delivering healthcare period. Because all you see is the politicians holding the hands out and nothing gets done. Look at AG Barr and Mr. Durham, I do not believe anyone regarding what has been happening is going to be held accountable for trying to take down this president. What has been happening though goes all the way back years and years. Look at Lois Lerner in the IRS scandal. I will continue. Got to go for now.

  6. Here’s an interesting article about military suicide:
    *”https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/09/28/suicides-rise-army-brass-reassessing-outreach.html”*

  7. “Your children’s children will live under communism. You Americans are so gullible. No, you will not accept communism outright. But we will keep feeding you small doses of socialism until you will finally wake up and find you already have Communism. We will not have to fight you. We will so weaken your economy, until you will fall like overripe fruit into our hands. The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. We will bury you [with Communism].”

    ~ Nikita Krushchev (Soviet Union Premier in September 1959, the last two steps being removal of God from government & schools, then class warfare

    1. I think, know, from experience, America has fallen and did years ago. That is why hard censoring continues on, little truth or facts to be found, no questions allowed, fear is rampant. Many of us will never see any form of justice or investigations over some serious issues and laws broken. “Justice delayed is justice denied.” Seen it in Jr. High School with college kiddies coming around with their literature, SDS stuff, communist manifestos, etc. Now today if we speak truth or tell people to do their own research, and not fear, we are “hated boomers,” left standing alone against the evil machines, foil hat wearers, or don’t fit in with the cliques, SJWs and mainstream herds.

      SATANIC CULT AWARENESS PRESENTED BY: GAYLAND W. HURST, Ph.D. AND ROBERT L. MARSH NCJRS (IAN 27 1993

      Can be read at ncjrs dot gov. Pay attention to page three. A LEO training manual. “Psychological Manipulation.”

      Then on to the “Communist Manifesto” or “Rules for Activist/radicals” etc. All fits in with the Bill Gate’s “Event 201” and the whateverdemic.

      Ben asked: “How many veterans died during this pandemic and lockdown nationwide from negligent or reckless leadership decisions?”

      Too damn many and more attention should be paid on fly-over states or those we can’t get news from, or not very much at all. We know what happens to “whistle-blowers.”

      Talked to a guy in real life about vet suicides and others in Missouri. Some in his family being “medical professionals.” Reported it’s all “rampant” like around me but not much reporting about it other than the issues of suicide or being isolated being mentioned. Told to call a hot line, use “telehealth,” call the VA they “really care,” or some youngsters or college clique starts up some group telling the local talking head news crews they care and there to help. And getting $$ grants to do it. Ha! While on the other hand.. hating “boomers,” “townies,” and on it goes.

      Report from MO was they are abusing and treating/placing patients wrongly leading to deaths or stressing many out of existance. In or out of the VA systems…. intentionally. Odd how many with pre-existing conditions or then suicided were added to a list of viral deaths while raking in big money per patient treated, or had passed on cause of one way or the other. Staff silent because they don’t want to lose their jobs and positions. So let patients die or be killed off.

      I went up alone as usual and faced off and questioned some of those “protesters’ in the streets. “White Coats,” hospital and health care people in white coats walking out of the VA and civy hospitals to support the other idiots in the streets doing their thing. I asked them about my issues and concerns, about all the suicides, intentional stressing people out, suffering caused by no pain meds or proper treatment by so-called “professionals” or the VA. Or the pill pushing of anti-depressants on people who then commit the dirty deed. Their head dope didn’t work but big Pharma made the bucks and real issues ignored by many.

      I mentioned what I was told to a group of cops later. The news crews wouldn’t put me on camera nor show my sign, or say what they did off camera. Like “your life doesn’t matter.” “Your health care doesn’t matter until all others can attain their health care” and etc. Told “veteran’s lives or care does not matter.” “Veterans get it all anyway like all you boomers do.” (From VA ‘white coats?’) Cops said ‘we didn’t hear those parts on the news.’ Of course not. And no cops were seen around those lovely peaceful protestors ether pretending to be caring health care workers.

  8. Pentagon & Google Partner On COVID-Driven AI “Predictive Health” & The Wuhan Chinese Virologist
    The last american vaga bond dot com

    Whitney Webb – unlimitedhangout dot com

    Question Everything, Come To Your Own Conclusions

  9. @Rosie,
    You forgot to add how all the democrats, FROM 24 FEB UNTIL LATE MARCH, were telling everyone this virus was nothing.
    Pelosi was telling people to come to Chinatown (San Francisco). The dem surgeon general of New York was telling people the same thing. Plus ride the subways. Eat at your favorite restaurant.

    There’s lots more. But #Gordon doesn’t want to here the TRUTH!

  10. And, that is your opinion. Obviously, Gordon feels and thinks differently. It’s all relative.

    What I choose to do – is get in where I can fit in and try and do something that will help Veterans regardless to who sits in the White house or who gavels or chairs any committee! I am in the fight as long as I have breath to improve outcomes for veterans and pay it forward. When we have acted in the past – we got results! Maybe, not everything we wanted but it sure beat doing nothing.

    1. “And, that is your opinion. Obviously, Gordon feels and thinks differently. It’s all relative.”

      What does it mean if something is relative?
      adjective. If you say that something is relative, you mean that it needs to be considered and judged in relation to other things.

  11. You hear and see what you want to hear and see. The issue is 76 veterans died! I don’t give a damn about POTUS or Pelosi! Stop your blind bullshit! VETERANS DIED @ an alarming rate! That is the issue! Every last one of them should be held accountable! I don’t care, accountability demands that we start at the top! Shit runs down hill!

    And another thing, stop trying to gang up on somebody who doesn’t agree with your rhetoric! Everybody is entitled to their opinion. Even, if you don’t agree! The picking sides has to stop. I’m sick of the bullshit! Get real. You have eyes – open them and if you don’t then you have to rely on your other senses. Pa-lease!

    1. Your right, It does start at the top but being as your at the bottom what are you going to do about it.????
      And don’t tell me voting for sleepy Joe will change anything, It won’t just like voting for the trumpster won’t either.
      I don’t think It’s picking on anyone, I think It’s more like waking someone up from media BS.

    2. #V-MARINEGIRL,
      That’s exactly what I’m trying to do. If you read Ben’s article, you’d see the excuses these VA administrators used were the same excuses used by other veterans/civilian homes also use/used.
      Once you see a pattern of liability, then there could be a chance at justice FOR the families of the deceased!
      This is WHY I try to research, get as much information as possible, and come up with a plan of execution! You might want to try the same thing.

  12. GORDON, I can tell you get all your info from the news like most people, No independent research on your part, I would post some links of fact for you but I can tell your just a headline reader and that’s as far as your research goes.
    Go back to sleep I can hear you snoring from here…

  13. THIS PHRASE …”– the decision to consolidate two dementia units into one,” … ’nuff said!
    I sense a planned accident.

    1. Rosie,
      Watch the video on my first comment to see how much taxpayers monies physicians, administrators and others in the healthcare profession receive from that “covid relief funds”!
      It will amaze you to see how much they receive PER PERSON! Even if they didn’t have it!

    2. Yea, and you can put bank on the fact that each of those patients were given an astronomical set of bills to pay.
      Early on we knew the tests were shoddy.
      Early on we knew elderly folks with certain conditions would be at a higher risk.
      Early on we knew the mouths MSM kept in front of us, were lying to us, and spewing way more lying to cover even more lies, while trying to convince the world that they, without a doubt, knew it all.
      I’ll give respect to someone that admits they do not yet have a definite answer.
      POTUS was man enough to admit that he didn’t know what he did not know.

      Within a month of lockdown we learned that CMS would pay hospitals 10K for each C-19 positive and 30K for each C-19 on a ventilator and also, the rush to get signed DNR’s to increase the kill count on death certificates.

      There is something out there that is outright killing people, I know that. But, this situation has been diabolically handled from day one, excepting the travel ban.

      This whole thing has turned out to be more taxpayer fleecing to benefit the iatrogenic and idiopathic practice of medicine we are forced to endure as “health”care. The blanket of several prongs of medical tyranny held over patients this past decade has to be stopped.

      I found this comment “https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYKFqmMmhIOPcEQHESBay6A”, about half way down in it, to have some interesting points.

      1. Really! Are you kidding me, trying to kid everyone! POTUS KNEW how deadly this virus was in January, by his own admission and, did nothing to help prevent its spread…which he is still doing, spreading the disease. He has all of the protections possible against contracting COVID, 99% of Americans do not and, that includes you. Christ, what does this guy have to do for people to see & understand what’s truly going on here in the US?

      2. To: Gordon,
        Do you like spreading doom and gloom? Seems to me you’d like to stay on topic and research how many of our states healthcare administrations were profiting off of taxpayers monies. All while understanding how they were LYING about their casualty reports.
        Plus, how governors, (which are mainly democrats) were placing covid patients in with the elderly in retirement homes. (Like these two veterans home administrators did!)! Then falsely claiming President Trump told them to!
        Lastly, I guess you like being ripped off!

      3. Gordan, do some research.
        The president knew in 2019. As a matter of fact, he tried to get China to agree for him to send some of our scientists to China to assist. China refused. And the Democrats were too focused on impeaching the president. So they ignored the president’s calls. Senator Tom Cotton is the one who finally stood in defense of the president. He is the one who had called serious claims to the Virus. All the Democrats have cared about is taking out this president, his supporters, and this country.

    3. @Gordon,
      There is nothing in my statement that can support your protestation.
      Of course POTUS understood the gravity of the situation, hence, the travel ban!
      AND, what he did do was to appoint a “task force” of what he considered to be professionals, to handle the crisis and ‘prevent the spread’.

      1. @Rosie,
        You forgot to add how all the democrats, FROM 24 FEB UNTIL LATE MARCH, were telling everyone this virus was nothing.
        Pelosi was telling people to come to Chinatown (San Francisco). The dem surgeon general of New York was telling people the same thing. Plus ride the subways. Eat at your favorite restaurant.

        There’s lots more. But #Gordon doesn’t want to here the TRUTH!

  14. Here’s additional information about the rise in veterans suicide due to this pandemic:
    *”https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/09/27/military-suicides-much-20-covid-era.html”*

  15. Could the amount of money received by putting covid patients in with other patients be the reason;
    *”https://youtu.be/DC43I3KaV-Q”*
    Wait untiil you see how much taxpayers money was dished out!

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