PA Nursing Homes Fail to Submit Covid-19 Data

By Walter F. Roche Jr.
Dozens of Pennsylvania nursing homes have failed to timely submit data on the number of patients and employees testing positive or dying from the Coronavirus.
A review of data collected and posted by the Pennsylvania Health Department shows Covid-19 data is missing for a little over 100 facilities and a department spokesman says the reason is the facilities failed to submit required data.
"A facility listing no data means that the facility is not reporting data to the department. Sometimes it is the result of incomplete or inaccurate data, but the majority of the facilities are not reporting data, as they are required to do," spokesman Nat Wardle said in an email response to questions.
Among those facilities listed with "No data" are the state owned Delaware Valley Veterans Home. The state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, which runs the facility did provide the missing data in response to a reporter's request.
The Health Department statement brought a strong reaction from the Pennsylvania Health Care Association which represents nursing homes and other long term care facilities in the state.
Calling the various state reporting requirements "cumbersome," Zach Shamberg, who heads PHCA, said nursing homes are required to report detailed data in multiple categories to five different data reporting databases.
As a result, Shamberg added, hours of staff time that should be devoted to patient care, are spent trying to meet the multiple reporting requirements.
"PHCA," Shamberg concluded has advocated for a singular streamlined data reporting system. In addition to the Southeastern Veterans Center, long term facilities listed as reporting "no data" include nursing homes from Norristown to Mechanicsburg to McKeesport.
The list includes Abington Crest Healthcare and Rehabilitation in Erie, Towne Manor in Norristown, Wyndmoor Hills Rehabilitation and Nursing in Wyndmoor, UPMC in McKeesport. Also the Masonic Home in Warminster, Immaculate Mary Center in Philadelphia and the St. Ignatius Nursing Center in Philadelphia and Weston Rehabilitation in Hellertown.
As for the Delaware Valley Veterans Center in Philadelphia, the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs reported that 32 residents tested positive for Covid-19 and 13 of those patients died. Seventeen employees tested positive but none of them died.