Three months prior to Bridge Chiropractic in Salmon Creek exposed more than 300 people to coronavirus, grievances started to trickle in to the state Department of Health.
The first complaint came on June 19 from Vancouver resident Maya Heim, who was worried when she checked out the office for a massage and saw just one out of more than six workers wearing a mask, according to Heim's grievance.
At that time, the department selected “technical support” and education instead of an investigation or discipline for Bridge Chiropractic, which, according to its site, becomes part of Chiro One Wellness Centers, a business based in Illinois– Bridge and Chiro One agents have not responded to ask for comment.
Two more complaints followed in July, which triggered an investigation by Washington's Chiropractic Quality Assurance Commission. Another grievance was filed in late August, the fourth and last complaint before Clark County Public Health announced that a Bridge worker contaminated with coronavirus had actually exposed 300 patients and 14 associates to the virus over the course of four days recently (Sept. 8 to 11).
In a Wednesday press rundown, Clark County Public Health Officer Dr. Alan Melnick stated mask-wearing was “inconsistent” by patients and personnel throughout the direct exposure period. Public health authorities have repeatedly suggested people wear masks when in distance to individuals outside their family to prevent disease transmission.