GENEVA – The medical director of Bria of Geneva, which has seen 18 residents die of COVID-19, said the nursing home did not get testing kits until April 23 or 24.

In a telephone conference call with reporters, Dr. Philip Branshaw, who said he has been an internist in the TriCity area for 22 years, said he has been medical director at Bria of Geneva, 1101 E. State St., Geneva, for five years, along with working at nursing homes for 20 years.

As of May 1, 75 of 90 residents tested positive and 36 of 45 staff tested positive and 18 residents died, according to data provided by the facility.

Deaths at the facility have been highlighted since Faith Heimbrodt publicly questioned why the death of her mother, Carol Orlando, 78, on April 25 was listed as being from coronavirus when she had not been tested.

Branshaw said, after they knew there was a large outbreak, anyone with signs or symptoms or under investigation for coronavirus were labeled under the assumption that they were COVID-positive.

Kane County Coroner Rob Russell said test results of a nasal swab of Orlando will likely not be available until Monday.

Because of her mother’s condition shortly before her death, Heimbrodt said she believes her mother was neglected.

Branshaw said he could not comment specifically on Orlando or any other resident at Bria of Geneva because of patient confidentiality.

But Branshaw denied that anyone was neglected there.

“As medical director, I do not believe any of our residents were neglected,” Branshaw said.

Branshaw said the facility’s first coronavirus patient was sent to the hospital on April 17.

“There was no testing available to us, which is pretty common,” Branshaw said. “Once we got that first (coronavirus) patient, then it was a landslide of patients who started becoming ill. It was pretty obvious we had a severe outbreak in the facility.”

Branshaw described a facility that was trying to care for its residents while at the same time, trying to work with the Kane County Health Department and Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital in Geneva to put a game plan together.

They had 10 testing kits, which wasn’t enough for the 90 residents and 45 staff members, he said.

Officials at Delnor and Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield came to Bria of Geneva’s aid and got them 50 test kits by late April 23 or early April 24, Branshaw said.

Branshaw said they were finally able to do facility-wide testing.

“We spent the last couple of weeks trying trying – with the help and guidance of the Kane County Health Department – and we got a game plan together with them,” Branshaw said.

Guidelines include frequent monitoring of oxygen levels, taking temperatures, he said.

“We are following those specifically, talking with family members and keeping them up to date,” Branshaw said. “Under the circumstances, the performance of providers – especially inundated staff – were, quite frankly, heroic, to have to deal with this massive outbreak and a lot of colleagues tested positive as well.”

Branshaw said staff takes care of residents for a long time, and the losses get very personal for them as they share condolences with family members.

“It’s been a very heartbreaking time for residents and family members, staff and providers,” Branshaw said. “It’s heartbreaking for all of us.”

He said he hopes people realize that skilled nursing facilities house their loved ones and they need support, too.

“It’s been very awful,” Branshaw said. “I likened it to following all the rules. Great, you’re ready to cross the street and you step out and get hit by a truck and you can’t believe it happened to you. … It’s a very difficult situation for us. Anything health officials or the public can do to give support to these facilities.”