We’re sharing our weekly update to keep WRC employees, residents, and families informed of changing regulations and policies at the national and state level, as well as within the WRC continuum. Thank you to all WRC essential workers!
Universal baseline testing continues across WRC communities. To date, the Laurelbrooke Landing CCRC in Brookville has all been tested, including residents, tenants, and employees of Laurelbrooke Personal Care, McKinley Health Center, The Laurels, and The Villages. Tenants and employees of residential living: North Fork Heights in Brookville, Water Run Landing in Clarion and the Villages at Ridgmont have also completed their testing. Employees and residents of personal care homes: Highland Oaks in Clarion, Edgewood Heights in New Bethlehem, and Ridgmont in Ridgway all have completed testing. Monthly testing will continue for staff and high risk patients.
The PA Department of Human Services (DHS) recently released updated guidance for reopening personal care homes and assisted living facilities. The guidance outlines three steps for reopening facilities for visitation, and requires buildings to meet a list of prerequisites before they can begin with a reopening plan. The guidance also requires no new cases of COVID-19 in the building for 14 days following baseline testing before buildings can move into Step 2, and another 14 consecutive days with no new onset COVID-19 must pass before a building can move onto Step 3. For complete guidance on reopening, visit DHS’s webpage. DHS also released frequently asked questions related to reopening along with a flow chart (pictured below), which can also be found here.
WRC collaborates with the PA Department of Health’s Regional Response Health Collaboration Program (RRHCP).The RRHCP helps facilities develop best practices and provides operations, management, and administrative support to help ensure the safety of residents in long-term care facilities. Contracted representatives from Allegheny Health Network, the contracted health system for Jefferson County, collaborated with teams at McKinley Health Center on August 5, 2020. Teams from UPMC will be working with facilities in Clarion County, including WRC’s Highland Oaks and Edgewood Heights, and LECOM Health will be collaborating with Elk County and WRC’s Ridgmont community in upcoming weeks.