Justice says there’s no ‘cover up’ in patient’s death at state-run hospital

Gov. Jim Justice defended himself and his administration against allegations that they called off a meeting where lawmakers could ask questions about an elderly man’s gruesome death in a state-run facility. 

“I don’t control and cancel legislative meetings,” the governor said on Wednesday during a virtual briefing. “There is no chance on the planet … that we’re ever under any circumstance, that we’re going to cancel something, cover something up, whatever it may be. Ridiculous.”

Lawmakers said that it wasn’t their decision to cancel the meeting, directing questions about the change to Justice’s administration. An attorney for Disability Rights West Virginia, which investigated the patient’s death, said the cancellation was “a cover up” for the state’s negligence in the incident.

The meeting had been scheduled for Tuesday at the West Virginia Capitol. Lawmakers were to speak with Department of Health Facilities Secretary Michael Caruso and Hopemont Hospital executive John Pritt.

I asked Justice about any effort to cover up what happened to the man who died after being left in scalding water.
His response: “I could take big time offense about your question. … I don’t control and cancel legislative meetings …Your question is just unfounded and wrong.” pic.twitter.com/mx7aziVteO

— Amelia Knisely (@ameliaknisely) April 17, 2024

In January, a nonverbal and elderly male patient died at Hopemont after being left too long in a whirlpool with a water temperature of 134 degrees. An attorney with Disability Rights West Virginia, which investigated the incident, said the man’s “skin melted off.”

Justice said the incident “is surely under investigation.” 

“I can’t talk about that and everything,” he said. “No one on the planet is going to take things like this more seriously than me.”

Caruso was expected to present a long-term sustainability plan for the state’s seven hospitals, which have faced years of scrutiny for warehousing patients, alleged patient mistreatment and multiple employee arrests.

Additionally, Caruso was scheduled to to speak on background checks for contract nurses employed at state facilities. 

Contract staff were fired after the elderly man’s death at Hopemont. 

Justice confident money will be restored for disability, elderly care services 

During the virtual briefing, Justice sounded confident that lawmakers will restore funding after their 10% cut to services for people with disabilities and elderly people that passed in the state’s latest budget.

The governor is expected to call a special session in May to deal with lingering budget issues. 

“We know what we’ve got money to do, and what we don’t have money to do. Taking money out that really our most needy folks need is awful,” Justice said. “I think we’ll get it all taken care of in the special session.”

The funding cut would impact a bundle of state-offered waiver programs that help individuals in need afford in-home staff to help with eating, bathing and living independently. 

The waivers also prevent people from being necessarily institutionalized in state-run facilities, which costs the state far more than providing in-home services.