After 28 COVID-19 Deaths, Healthcare at Foster Creek Forced to Close by State

Deaths at the nursing home account for more than half of the COVID-19 fatalities in Portland.

Healthcare at Foster Creek. (Wesley Lapointe)
By Rachel Monahan

State regulators have forced the Portland nursing home with the most COVID-19 deaths in Oregon to close, after repeated efforts failed to improve conditions.

Healthcare at Foster Creek has seen 28 deaths from COVID-19 and 117 cases of the virus. Less than three weeks ago, when the Oregon Department of Human Services forbade the facility from accepting new residents, the nursing home had 14 deaths—and just 61 residents.

Repeated inspections of the facility found basic practices to prevent infection weren't being followed in early April.

The state provided assistance, but subsequent visits from regulators found the same problems, DHS announced today. So the state is stripping the nursing home of its license to operate.

"On or about April 25, 2020, through April 26, 2020, DHS conducted an onsite visit to the facility daily to determine if respondent had implemented their immediate plan of correction related to infection control and staffing," the May 5 notice from DHS states. "Based on observations and interviews, DHS found respondent had not corrected the immediate concerns regarding violations of infection control practices outlined above. The finding of immediate jeopardy remains in place to date."

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