Abby Testa News Today

Newly hired nurses will get a $7,500 bonus to sign on to work at Westmoreland Manor in Hempfield, which, like other care homes across the country, is plagued by staffing issues. Nursing aides hired after Sept. 1 will be awarded a $4,000 bonus to work at the county-owned care facility.

Westmoreland Manor could have a growing staffing problem before the end of January after the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the federally imposed covid-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers. Manor administrator Abby Testa said this week that about 77% of staffers at the county-owned nursing home have been

More than a third of employees at Westmoreland Manor will remain on the job without coronavirus vaccinations after the county last week deferred a vaccine mandate following a federal appeals court ruling that temporarily halted the requirement. Manor administrator Abby Testa said Friday that just 64% of the more than

Jason Cato | Tribune-Review   TribLIVEs Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. Westmoreland County has the “help wanted” sign out to fill jobs in several departments but, as has been the case in the private sector, there isn’t enough community interest to fill vacant positions. It has been so much of a challenge to fill the roster of guards at the county prison that, on Monday, officials converted part-time jobs to ful...

TribLIVEs Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. Westmoreland Manor could begin in-person visits with residents within weeks even as coronavirus cases continue to pop up among residents and staff at the county-owned nursing home in Hempfield. Officials said Thursday that one additional case was reported and there are three active coronavirus infections among residents at the 403-bed facility. One staff member is off work after...

Westmoreland Manor residents and staff started getting vaccinated against the coronavirus Monday. It was the first day the vaccine was available in long-term care facilities in Pennsylvania. The number of those at the Hempfield facility consenting to get inoculated grew as the day went on, interim director Abby Testa said. “I think we’re all looking forward to the next step,” she said. “(Monday) was a day that history was made.” The first vaccinations at long-term care facilities in t...

Shane Dunlap | Tribune-Review   TribLIVEs Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. Westmoreland County officials said Tuesday that plans have been formulated to vaccinate nursing home patients and staff and first responders once they are notified that doses are available to distribute locally. Distribution of about 97,500 vaccine doses in Pennsylvania started this week, and the first could arrive in the county on Friday, accor...