Harrisburg, PA – Acting Secretary of Health Keara Klinepeter today said two additional state-directed health care strike teams and another long-term care regional support team are providing requested assistance for hospitals and skilled nursing
“While we are seeing cases and hospitalizations trending downward, we know that healthcare workers and hospitals are still caring for a high number of patients. We are providing assistance as it is requested, needed and available.”
This week, clinical staff from state-directed health care strike teams are supporting staff at Geisinger Wyoming Valley and Lehigh Valley Hospital – Cedar Crest. The teams are on a two-week deployment and vary in size and scope based on the daily needs of the facilities. They include registered nurses and respiratory therapists provided through General Healthcare Resources (GHR) under a contract with the Department of Health.
“We are thankful for this partnership with the state as we continue to care for COVID-19 and other patients and as hospitals and health networks across the country face staffing challenges,” said Luis Puentes president, LVH–Hecktown Oaks campus and vice president, Operations and Public Safety at Lehigh Valley Health Network said. “We are also eternally grateful for the dedication and resilience of our staff throughout this pandemic.”
Additionally, this week a fifth regional skilled nursing facility support site opened at the Pleasant Valley Manor nursing home in Monroe County.
The facility will receive clinical and non-clinical support staff to allow for more rapid discharge of patients from area hospitals, when clinically safe to do so, freeing additional acute care space to meet COVID demands. GHR will provide clinical staff, including RNs, LPNs and CNAs; Pennsylvania National Guard will provide non-clinical staffing to support the facility’s existing staff; and PEMA will assist in the coordination.
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