MVC officials fail to plan, react to COVID-19 outbreak

<<kq2's madeline mcclain reporting:tim noonan, chair of missouri veterans commission:"yeah, it breaks our heart you know."in the care of one of the state run veterans homes -- at least 138 veterans were killed by covid-19 -- including 39 at the home in cameron.tim noonan, chair of missouri veterans commission: "we could of done a better job there.

We could have done a better job."

An external review of missouri veterans commission found a multi-level failure to anticipate, identify and respond to fall outbreaks tearing through the homes.tim noonan, chair of missouri veterans commission: "we failed to see when those care rates were getting to a point where we were not able to control it and we didn't have the contingency plans in place that once it got into the homes and cape's a good example and it started cross- contaminating veterans and we couldn't quarantine them fast enough."a 53-page report about what, when and how things got bad -- found that the staff at the 7-homes did what they were supposed to do.tim noonan, chair of missouri veterans commission: "in the homes themselves, on the frontlines, people were for the most part doing what was asked of them.

They were reporting the data.

The breakdown happened at headquarters especially on the communication front."this was a leadership problem."of course we are going to assess whether we have trust and confidence in his leadership and at every level."the report found the structure of the agency crippled the response.

Tim noonan is the chairman of the commission small c that oversees the m-v-c or big c commission.tim noonan, chair of missouri veterans commission: "very, very well-intended caring people worked hard to keep the virus out of our homes and they got overwhelmed by an incredibly complex healthcare environment."the commissioners including noonan are unpaid, volunteers, with little to no oversight.without a clear boss, the mvc has no one to report to and no direct line to resources.tim noonan, chair of missouri veterans commission: "this independent commission structure who felt like they had the management, responsibility, authority, and accountability to drive the operations on a day-to-day basis."the report says each level of government had the information but nobody saw it for what it was.homes full of elderly veterans with underlying conditions.with fires raging in their towns.

And by the time they saw it -- all seven homes were burned.

Tim noonan, chair of missouri veterans commission: "this uh...this breaks our heart.

Can you not do that.

Can we please pause for a second."i had just asked noonan -- a fellow veteran -- what his message was to the families that lost someone.we took a break.

And he tried again.tim noonan, chair of missouri veterans this is what he wants you to "this breaks our heart.

We got overwhelmed but take that report.

We are going to put together a plan, milestone.

We are going to publicly and transparently, how we are doing, against that plan.

Our best to re-earn the trust/we have to do better and we will."reporting madeline mcclain kq2 news.