The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) has determined Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center used experimental medications on patients without seeking agency approval. Family members say they have been contacted by criminal investigators who are working to determine if the nursing home violated state law.
Brighton Rehab is vowing to challenge DOH’s findings, saying it followed federal guidelines when the state agency failed to provide guidance on treating patients as doctors desperately sought to stave off illness and death from a novel virus.
Ambridge resident Jodi Gill filed a complaint against Brighton Rehab with the DOH in April, alleging she felt coerced by the facility into authorizing the administration of hydroxychloroquine to her father Glenn, who is a resident of the facility. Glenn was one of a diminishing number of patients at Brighton Rehab who had not yet contracted COVID-19; medical staff expressed hope the drug may act as a prophylactic to keep him that way.
Dr. David Thimons, medical director of Brighton Rehab, told BeaverCountian.com in an April 1 inteview that he was seeing encouraging signs after administering the then-unnamed treatment to COVID-19 patents.
