Department of Health to Provide More Support for Long-Term Care Facilities’ COVID-19 Response

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Monday announced they have signed a contract with ECRI, an independent, nonprofit health services research organization based in suburban Philadelphia, to help with the COVID-19 response across the state, particularly in long-term care facilities, as the pandemic continues.

“It’s imperative that the state do all that we can to protect all Pennsylvanians, but especially those most vulnerable to COVID-19, and so the Department of Health made the right decision to enlist experts in the field of infection control to help protect those in the state’s long-term care facilities,” Gov. Tom Wolf said.

With decades of experience in assisting during outbreaks, ECRI will provide individualized infection control and prevention assistance to long-term care facilities in Pennsylvania. Staffers will be available over the phone for 12 hours a day on weekdays and will coordinate with the Department Operations Center, currently providing support to those working in coronavirus response. ECRI will also help the department evaluate PPE and research different ways to maximize available resources.

“COVID-19 is a very serious disease and we are seeing a continuous rise in the number of cases and deaths each day,” Secretary of Health Dr. Levine said. “One of our most vulnerable populations in Pennsylvania is those in nursing home facilities. Partnering with ECRI will help us continue to provide the necessary resources to those on the frontline of the COVID-19 response in facilities across the state.”

As of April 6, there are 12,980 positive cases of COVID-19 in 65 counties and there are 162 deaths. There are 70,874 patients who have tested negative to date.