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They’re getting closer, but state budget negotiators haven’t quite reached a deal yet. Still, the word coming out of both General Assembly chambers is that the fiscal year 2020-2021 state budget should be wrapped up by Thursday.

State lawmakers have gotten a thumbs-up from the federal government to use the remaining $1.3 billion in CARES Act funding to offset General Fund budget items (mostly wages for front-line workers such as those of the Departments of Health and Corrections). This approval will make the process of finishing the final seven months of the 2020-2021 state budget easier (though some lawmakers, particularly Democrats, had a wish list of items – including support for front-line workers and businesses impacted by COVID-19 – on which to spend those dollars).

The CARES Act funding, along with an improved revenue situation, some money – maybe half – from the state’s $340 million Rainy Day Fund, a continuation of enhanced federal matching payments for the state’s Medicaid program (which lawmakers had initially thought would end), maybe a few targeted cuts, and possibly some dollars from a couple of state special funds, should close the budgetary gap left by the impact of COVID-19 and mitigation efforts to slow the virus spread, say those close to the budget discussions. Those same sources have said that increased spending will be limited, for the most part, to areas that involve mandatory spending, such as state debt payments and human services programs, with the rest of the budget changing little from the spending totals of the fiscal year 2019-2020 budget.

Source: Capitolwire: Under The Dome, November 18, 2020

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On Tuesday, State Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine announced additional “targeted efforts” to slow the spread of COVID-19. However, most of the “efforts”, the department acknowledged, still come down to people choosing to do what the department is telling them to do.

Acute care hospitals were sent a memo from Levine outlining expectations to care for Pennsylvanians who need care. However, those expectations seem to be no different from those under which the state’s health care systems have been operating since the spring.

Anyone who visits from another state or returns to Pennsylvania from another state is required to have a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to entering the state. If they can’t or won’t get a test, they are required to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in Pennsylvania, which is an upgrade from the recommendation put in place in early July that these actions be taken if traveling from or returning from states with a high number of virus cases. Still, Levine noted that it is mostly up to the individual to self-quarantine since the state can’t stop every person at the border to demand a test report and then watch each individual who should be under quarantine for 14 days.

Dr. Levine also announced a “strengthened” masking requirement – Pennsylvania already has a mask-wearing mandate – that now includes masking indoors when away from home and even masking in your own home if there are people present who are not members of your household. This mandate is recommended regardless of social distancing (being six feet apart). This is an order that is, again, only as good as the voluntary compliance of individuals.

Finally, Dr. Levine recommended that colleges and universities implement a testing plan for when students return to campus following the holidays.

“We must remain united in stopping COVID-19,” said Dr. Levine, who later, when asked about the possibility of more stringent mitigation efforts, said she can’t predict the future, but there are currently no plans to go back to the closures of the spring.

Source: Capitolwire.com, November 18, 2020

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The Regional Response Health Collaborative (RRHC) program, a statewide program providing clinical, operational, and educational support to long-term care facilities preparing for or facing outbreaks of COVID-19 at their facility, is available to providers in the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) system.

The RRHC program was designed to bolster Pennsylvania’s support for long-term care facilities and their residents and staff. Launched in late July, the RRHC program was established to provide clinical support, technical assistance, and education to long-term care facilities as they work to prevent and mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The RRHC is available 24 hours a day and seven days a week to support the nearly 2,000 nursing facilities, personal care homes, assisted living residences, and private intermediate care facilities in Pennsylvania and the residents they serve. Eleven health systems were selected to serve six regions across Pennsylvania.

Supports provided can be assistance with testing, assessing a facility’s preparedness, staffing support, rapid response deployment to facilities, personal protective equipment (PPE) support, testing to ensure PPE is properly fitted, and questions or concerns requiring consultation.

Yesterday Secretary Miller was joined by Janet Tomcavage (see press release here), the Executive Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive at Geisinger, who leads the Geisinger RRHC in Northeast Pennsylvania. Along with leadership from the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Department of Health (DOH) who are overseeing the RRHCs, they discussed their work in supporting facilities in Northeast Pennsylvania and why the program must continue to be supported in 2021.

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