A Prescott nursing home, Granite Creek Health and Rehabilitation, has reached settlements with the families of COVID-19 victims after a devastating outbreak that took 20 lives, as per reports by 12News. Details of the settlements remain under wraps, but an attorney from the Jensen Phelan Law Firm disclosed that there have been ten lawsuits settled, many involving wrongful death claims.

In the midst of the pandemic, the nursing facility was enmeshed in chaos, experiencing one of Arizona's worst viral surges. Cases and fatalities surged with 15 deaths occurring within just a four-week span in the summer of 2020. To make matters even more tragic, reports suggest staff who tested positive for the virus were allegedly told to continue working, potentially further exposing high-risk residents to the fatal disease. An anonymous employee conveyed their harrowing experience to 12News, claiming, "I've been crying every other day because residents that I have taken care of for over five years are now dead."

Violations were rampant as state and federal investigators descended on the facility, noting a lengthy list of infractions. The nursing home faced allegations of gross negligence, with lawsuits maintaining that it failed to provide safe care and implement a proper infection prevention and control program, leading to unnecessary suffering and loss of life.

While the wounds of loss remain fresh for many, Granite Creek, now under new management, reportedly shows no deficiencies as of the last inspection in December 2023, as stated by the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS). Back during the height of the outbreak, employees levelled serious concerns about the facility's practices, including admitting new patients despite unknown COVID-19 statuses and insufficient protective equipment leading staff to care for the ill without proper safety measures, which seems to have only exacerbated the spread of the virus according to the state health department's findings.