The Wolf Administration announced an extension of the Regional Congregate Care Assistance Teams to support long-term care facilities as they continue to face COVID-19 and the challenges it creates for congregate care settings. The RCATs will continue providing support with testing, staffing assistance, and rapid response in the event of an outbreak at a long-term care facility, which can still be dangerous for staff and residents at these facilities, especially those who choose to not get the vaccine. The support network originally was set to lapse Feb. 28, but it will now be available through May.
“Our fight against COVID-19 is not done and neither is our work to support long-term care facilities,” said Department of Health Acting Secretary Alison Beam. “To strengthen our COVID-19 response, the Wolf Administration and the vaccine providers share a mutual mission of getting vaccine into arms – especially those living in congregate settings who are susceptible to the COVID-19 virus. We are making good progress to get those Pennsylvanians vaccinated. We must stay the course to ensure residents and staff have the resources they need and keep our fellow Pennsylvanians safe.”
The RCATs were established in early January to continue some of the support previously offered by the Regional Response Health Collaborative program when its funding lapsed at the end of 2020. Through the RCATs, more limited services are provided by health systems previously affiliated with the RRHC and are coordinated and deployed through the departments of Human Services and Health, and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
Extending this program will cost $6 million per month, which will be funded by a combination of state general funds, as well as federal funds available to PEMA through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. State funds included in this effort are reimbursable through FEMA.
“While the flow of vaccines into Pennsylvania is a positive step in the process to fight COVID-19, we cannot let down our guard,” said PEMA director Randy Padfield. “Continued efforts to support staff and residents at long-term care facilities is a critical element in that fight.”
The following services are available to long-term care facilities through the RCAT:
– Call centers previously utilized under the RRHC program are available for facilities to engage participating health systems for infection control and prevention technical assistance and education
– Rapid response continues through onsite assessment teams assisting with infection control practices, identifying staffing needs, testing, cohorting, finding alternate care sites, and training needs, as necessary
– Staffing assistance will continue to be provided by contracted agencies, as well as the PA National Guard, but is more limited that what was available through the RRHC
– Testing assistance is available as resources permit through the DOH vendors
– The Jewish Healthcare Foundation’s Tomorrow’s Healthcare portal will still be accessible; webinars will be scheduled as needed
Since transitioning to this model in January, the RCATs have engaged in nearly 3,500 missions covering facility consultations, PPE requests, testing assistance, staffing needs and rapid response. Fifty-three rapid response deployments have occurred, with 28 to skilled nursing facilities and 25 to personal care homes.
