On May 26, acting on a motion by Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, 2nd District, and Board Chair Kathryn Barger, 5th District, the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to appoint – for the first time – an inspector general to oversee skilled nursing facilities, which account for more than half of all deaths from COVID-19 in Los Angeles County. The board also approved bringing in the auditor-controller to ensure closer monitoring of skilled nursing facilities immediately.

The board tasked the inspector general with developing recommendations on how to strengthen oversight for skilled nursing facilities and how to improve their operations long-term. Many skilled nursing homes have a history of getting low marks for quality of care, patient satisfaction and employee pay.

Last week, an analysis by the New York Times found that facilities with a significant number of black and Latino residents have been twice as likely to be hit by the coronavirus as those where the population is overwhelmingly white.

“While some skilled nursing homes may be doing their best to respond to COVID-19, we’ve seen hundreds of deaths at these facilities, tragically exposing the urgent need for stronger oversight across the industry,” Ridley-Thomas said.

Serving thousands of residents who tend to be older and medically fragile, skilled nursing facilities have become the epicenter of L.A. County’s COVID-19 epidemic. As of May 22, 5,218 residents and 3,140 staff from these facilities have tested positive for the virus. 

Across L.A. County, 53% of all deaths from COVID-19 have been in institutional settings, particularly in skilled nursing facilities.

“It is our collective responsibility to protect and support the most vulnerable among us,” L.A. County Department of Health Services Director Dr. Christina Ghaly said.