Health centers throughout the state that serve vulnerable populations will get over $27 million in American Rescue Plan funds to make capital improvements.
Out-of-state nurses and respiratory therapists will work overnight shifts at Sellersville’s Grand View Hospital, which has been under severe strain from a deluge of COVID-19 cases.
The workforce crunch at skilled nursing homes and personal care facilities in Pennsylvania is having a spillover effect on hospitals, which are under strain from a 55% increase in COVID-19 patients since mid-November.
Geisinger is running at 110% capacity across its nine hospitals — overrun with largely unvaccinated COVID-19 patients who represent a quarter to well over half of all admissions.
Low pay and high turnover have long been the reality for the ranks of direct care workers in home care settings and nursing homes. The pandemic has made it worse.