Penn State Health updates visitation guidelines during pandemic
Updated Jan 29, 2021;
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Penn State Health announced on Friday that it has revised its patient visitation guidelines in response to the “decline in patients with COVID-19 across the health system.”
Updated guidelines take effect on Feb. 1 at the following locations: Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center, Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center, and Penn State Health Medical Group locations.
Changes include:
adult inpatients, adult outpatient surgery patients, and adult outpatient procedure patients may have one family or support person per stay
Jan. 26—As federal and state governments work with drug manufacturers to provide COVID-19 vaccines to residents, availability of the vaccine continues to change.
Image: Getty Images | RuslanDashinsky
January 28, 2021
HERSHEY, Pa. First, the good news there are far fewer cases of influenza so far this season.
“Historically, we don’t see a real rise in Pennsylvania cases until the end of January into early February, but by now, the number of hospitalizations is usually well into the hundreds and the number of deaths is in double digits,” said Allison Polinski, director, quality and patient safety at Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center.
For the current flu season, there have been 21 influenza-related hospitalizations and nine deaths statewide, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Looking back at last flu season In Pennsylvania, there were 8,000 cases of influenza reported between Dec. 30, 2019 and Jan. 5, 2020, versus just 125 cases reported from Jan. 4 to Jan. 10 this year.
Central Pa. hospitals defend giving COVID-19 vaccine to ‘back office’ employees before outsiders at higher risk
Updated Jan 27, 2021;
Posted Jan 27, 2021
Dr. Stephen Henderson with Penn State Health Cocoa Outpatient Center, gives 73-year-old Lynn Davis from Cleona, a Band-Aid Wednesday after he recently gave her the COVID-19 vaccine.
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Penn State Health doctors on Wednesday acknowledged that health care workers who don’t directly care for patients are receiving COVID-19 vaccine, even as outsiders who are older or have serious medical conditions endure long waits.
They defended it, explaining that even hospital employees who aren’t directly involved in patient care have a crucial role in keeping the hospital running, and it’s therefore appropriate to vaccinate them.
Penn State Health begins giving COVID-19 vaccinations to patients
Updated Jan 20, 2021;
Posted Jan 20, 2021
Dr. Stephen Henderson with Penn State Health Cocoa Outpatient Center, gives 73-year-old Lynn Davis from Cleona, a Band-Aid Wednesday after he gave her the COVID-19 vaccine.
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Penn State Health on Wednesday began providing initial COVID-19 vaccinations to patients, one day after the state expanded eligibility under its phase 1A vaccination plan.
The health system is directly reaching out to offer vaccinations to patients who meet the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s (DOH) recently expanded criteria for phase 1A vaccination, according to a press release. This includes patients age 65-plus and those ages 16-64 with high-risk health conditions.