AARP Indiana is
welcoming Wednesday’s announcement that the state will finally disclose,
through an interactive dashboard, which long-term care facilities have had
COVID-19 cases.
Dr. Daniel Rusyniak,
chief medical officer of the Indiana Family and Social Services
Administration, said that preliminary data going back to March 1 will be
available to the public in mid-July, with the fully interactive public
dashboard coming on line two to four weeks after that.
“Today’s
announcement by Dr. Rusyniak that the state will release facility-specific
COVID-19 data is welcome news for Hoosiers,” AARP Indiana State Director
Sarah Waddle said. “This is information they have deserved for months. We
appreciate all of the caregivers, members of the media, and others who
joined in helping convince the administration that releasing these data is
what’s in the best interest for not only residents and their families but
communities across the state.”
“This
announcement,” Waddle noted, “is a strong step toward clearing up the
confusion stemming from data provided by different agencies, and it is our
hope that this new dashboard will bring more transparency to the
difficulties we have seen at our long-term care facilities during this
health crisis.”
“We look forward to
hearing more details from the Indiana Family and Social Services
Administration as they endeavor to build this platform and give Hoosier
families the information they need to keep loved ones safe,” Waddle added.
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