Letter to the Editor, Citizens' Voice:

Send on behalf of Cornelio Catena, Chief Executive Officer, Commonwealth Health Wilkes-Barre General Hospital

I'm writing today with an update on Wilkes-Barre General Hospital’s preparation for the presence of COVID-19 in Luzerne County. Our executive and department leaders are monitoring local, state and federal guidance as it is updated in response to the ever-evolving situation. We are prepared to protect the safety and well-being of our care team and all patients should any members of our community develop symptoms of COVID-19 requiring hospital care.

Our clinical staff is carefully screening all patients who come to the hospital. Should a patient suspected of having COVID-19 be identified, the individual will be placed in a separate room or area away from other patients and given a medical mask to wear. Only a small care team will interact with the patient. The attending physician will determine whether testing is needed, and will coordinate it and the patient’s ultimate disposition in consultation with the department of health, as needed.

Infection control is a top priority. Our staff members are trained in the appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE), including medical masks, N-95 respirators, goggles and gowns. We actively maintain our PPE inventory based on the number of patients in our care and are following CDC guidelines for the use of PPE. Our resources are being increased so we are prepared for the event of a surge and have received a boost of N-95 respirators through PEMA. We are preserving and conserving our PPE inventory in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance.

Patients receive care thanks to the skills and compassion of the nurses, physicians, technicians and all members of our team. We understand our responsibility to protect our caregivers with the resources and practices to minimize unnecessary exposure to infection.

Wilkes-Barre General Hospital and all healthcare organizations and caregivers in the community are focused on responding appropriately to this monumental health emergency. We applaud Mayor George Brown for his actions to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community and we are grateful to the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Wilkes-Barre Health Department for their leadership. Our hospital is standing by, ready and willing to meet the medical needs of patients during this global pandemic.

For factual information about our hospital’s preparedness, I invite you to visit CommonwealthHealth.net/COVID-19. To learn more about the Pennsylvania Department of Health COVID-19 response, visit Health.PA.gov and for in-depth information about COVID-19 visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC.gov.

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