Thank you for allowing myself and LT Peacock PANG visit your facility today.
As a trained emergency nurse, with a specialty in disaster preparedness and response, I would like to share the following observations.
In my opinion, Gracedale Nursing Home has demonstrated several best practices during the COVID19 Pandemic. You are the largest LTC under a single roof in the Commonwealth but your number of COVID19 patients are well below the average of most LTC in the State. I attribute this accomplishment to many factors, especially the dedication of your entire staff and strict adherence to current CDC guidelines. All staff must follow these protocols or the disease rate increases significantly. Our support staff are essential to the health of the facility. If not for the strong work of the EVS, facilities, food services, security staff, the system does fail. Your ability to develop negative pressure areas is considered a best practice and it appears that your PPE allocation and conservation practices are second to none. As much as we wish there was more to offer the staff and patients of Gracedale, we know that we cannot offer all the needed support. We will do the best that we can!. In the interim, please pass onto the staff that they are doing a GREAT JOB at keeping the infection rate low and in doing so they ALL are saving lives.
Wishing you all the best in these trying times,
Michael Whalen, BSN, , NHDC-BC, CHEP
The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of PA
15 comments:
"LT Peacock PANG"?
Was McGruff the Crime Dog not available?
McGRUFF WAS IN JERSEY BUYING BEER !
Did they do any testing or schedule help for testing?
I believe so, but do not know that definitively. I would argue that every resident and staff member should be tested, once those kits are available. The same would be true for all first responders. it is true someone could test negative and be infected the next day, but testing would ID those who are positive and asymptomatic. Those persons could then be isolated and contact tracing done.
While Mr. McClure has been providing numbers from Gracedale. This press release reads like political CYA.
And this organization was invited in or called on by whom to show up...giving positive kudos is nice, and the fearless employees deserve it.....but they need help, personnel, testing.....not pats on the back
Michael Whalen has 13 letters following his name. I just love it when bureucrats with an alphabet soup after their names show up for an hour, look things over, then write a feel good memo...especially the one's who havent treated a patient at bedside for a least a decade, or (sometimes) EVER! They are the ones who usually have the alphabet soup credentials, since they are never working swing shifts, and can produce all those online credits to keep the letters going behind their names.
Now when is the bull going to be taken by its horns with some real legislation so that these nursing home slop parlors are finally REQUIRED to staff properly?
It sounds like you're jealous of people who have an advanced education.
Advanced education is a good thing and helps with writing skills and advancing ones career...what fits better at Gracedale is not a glowing written white paper, but a mobile testing unit to test everyone and determine Who’s at risk and who isn’t.....I actually am agreeing with BO
This after a communication went out about a lot of employees not coming in to work and also taking FMLA. Now who are supposed to believe. Once a liar always a liar.
The two communications are consistent. In the first, the Administrator commends those who are on the job and begs those who are scared to return. In the second, Gracedale is praised for being below the average, for following best practices and bc of its great staff.
Gracedale has been known for its caring and dedicated staff and employees who selfishly commit their daily lives for caring for those who can’t care for themselves, The deficit of help and nurses has been an on -going concern for years, with no workable answers. The few who are working are over stressed and working overtime to cover those who re not there. This problem will boil over if there is a sudden upswing in virus cases, and without a plan to help those that are going into work everyday, it could prove disastrous.....ask for the testing and let’s control The numbers of who are and are not potentially infected.
Anonymous said...
Advanced education is a good thing and helps with writing skills and advancing ones career...what fits better at Gracedale is not a glowing written white paper, but a mobile testing unit to test everyone and determine Who’s at risk and who isn’t.....I actually am agreeing with BO
April 23, 2020 at 6:15 PM
You don't seem to recognize that sometimes high-educated people really know a lot.
Yet today..the exec says the workers are turds. WTF is going on Lamont? Get over your hissy fit and go home and let the workers do the job.
What the Executive said is this: "The employees who are coming to work every day to care for the residents at Gracedale are heroes ... . The employees who are calling out of their shifts in record numbers need to start putting the residents first. We’re grateful to the National Guard for their offer of short-term assistance.”
He called no one a turd, but perhaps your conscience is bothering you.
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