Department of Health Launches COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring Dashboard 

Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Health today launched an online early warning monitoring dashboard that provides information statewide and county COVID-19 prevalence to track increases in disease in the community on a weekly basis.

“This dashboard provides the entire community with early warning to changes in COVID-19 infection so that we can take action to prevent spread,” Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said. “Recent increases in COVID-19 cases in parts of the state have shown the need for Pennsylvanians to continue to take simple steps to prevent the spread of this virus. Wear a mask, wash your hands frequently, maintain social distancing and stay home if you are sick.”

The dashboard shows data points being used to assess the spread of the virus in the state and in each county, including:

• Difference in confirmed cases (last 7 days vs. previous 7 days);
• Incidence rate (last 7 days and previous 7 days) per 100,000 residents;
• PCR positivity rate (last 7 days and previous 7 days);
• Difference in the average daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the last 7 days and the previous 7 days;
• Difference in the average daily number of COVID-19 patients on ventilators in the last 7 days and previous 7 days; and
• Percent of hospital emergency department visits in the last 7 days and previous 7 days due to COVID-like-illness (CLI).

The dashboard will be updated on a weekly basis to assist in providing information regarding the prevalence and severity of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania.

Symptoms of COVID-19 can include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Chills
• Repeating shaking with chills
• Muscle pain
• Headache
• Sore throat
• New loss of taste or smell

Symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. Reported illnesses have ranged from people with little to no symptoms to people being severely ill and dying.

For the latest information for individuals, families, businesses and schools, visit “Responding to COVID-19” on pa.gov.

The Wolf Administration stresses the role Pennsylvanians play in helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19:

• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.
• Clean surfaces frequently.
• Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell.
• If you must go out for a life-sustaining reason, please wear a mask.

Updated Coronavirus Links: Press Releases, State Lab Photos, Graphics

• Daily COVID-19 Report
• Press releases regarding coronavirus
• Latest information on the coronavirus
• Photos of the state’s lab in Exton (for download and use)
• Coronavirus and preparedness graphics (located at the bottom of the page)
• Community preparedness and procedures materials
• Map with the number of COVID-19 cases

All Pennsylvania residents are encouraged to sign up for AlertPA, a text notification system for health, weather, and other important alerts like COVID-19 updates from commonwealth agencies. Residents can sign up online at www.ready.pa.gov/BeInformed/Signup-For-Alerts

West Penn Again Named One of the Nation’s 100 Top Hospitals

PITTSBURGH, PA (June 30, 2020) – West Penn Hospital, part of Allegheny Heath Network (AHN), has been named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals by IBM Watson Health™ for the second consecutive year.

The new report, published this week in Fortune magazine, spotlights the top-performing hospitals in the United States, based on a scorecard of publicly available clinical, operational, safety, financial, and patient satisfaction data.

IBM Watson Health™ recognizes hospitals of all sizes, in five different categories – major teaching hospitals, teaching hospitals, large community hospitals, medium community hospitals, and small community hospitals.

West Penn is among 25 facilities recognized in the “teaching hospitals” category. It is one of just two hospitals in the Pittsburgh area, and one of four in Pennsylvania, to be named to the 100 Top Hospitals® list.

“We are extremely proud to be named one of the nation’s top hospitals by one of the country’s most respected health care industry analysts,” said Ron Andro, president of West Penn Hospital. “This honor again is reflective of the extraordinary talent and dedication of our physicians, nurses, volunteers, and employees at every level.”

This year marks the sixth time that West Penn Hospital has been named to the prestigious Top 100 Hospitals list, which has been published annually since 1993. To create its 2020 list, IBM Watson Health™ researchers evaluated more than 3,100 short-term, acute care, non-federal U.S. hospitals.

“West Penn Hospital has always held a special place in the hearts of those who are cared for within its walls, and this recognition by IBM Watson Health is a wonderful validation of the clinical excellence and compassion that the hospital’s caregivers provide every day to those in need,” said Cindy Hundorfean, AHN President and CEO.

“We can’t express enough how grateful we are to Ron Andro and everyone at West Penn for consistently raising those standards.”

The Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals® study uses independent and objective research to analyze hospital performance in areas such as clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, patient experience and financial health. IBM Watson Health established the list to help identify best practices that may help other health care organizations achieve consistent, balanced, and sustainable high performance.

A cornerstone of Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood, West Penn is a 333-bed teaching hospital and tertiary care facility. Among the many leading clinical programs based at the hospital are AHN’s Women’s Institute, Autoimmunity Institute, Esophageal Institute, blood and marrow transplant program, and the West Penn Burn Center.

The hospital continues to evolve and expand its clinical programs. In 2019, the hospital cut the ribbon on its expanded Level III neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and in the same year opened three new cancer care facilities for patients with breast, gynecologic and hematologic cancers.

In 2018, the hospital opened a first-in-the-region Healthy Food Center, which provides fresh, healthful foods to patients with diabetes who are screened by their doctor as being food insecure.  West Penn is also home to the Alexis Joy D’Achille Center for Perinatal Mental Health, a one-of-a-kind program and facility dedicated to caring for women with post-partum depression and other anxiety disorders.

West Penn also was the first hospital in Pittsburgh to earn the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet Recognition, the nation’s most prestigious honor for nursing excellence.

According to IBM Watson Health, compared to similar hospitals, the hospitals included on the Fortune and IBM Watson list had better results on key clinical and operational performance indicators. These include survival rates, patient complications, healthcare associated infections, 30-day mortality and 30-day hospital-wide readmission rates, length of stay, throughput in emergency rooms, inpatient expenses, profitability, and ratings from patients.

“Hospitals, health systems, and the dedicated clinicians and staff who work at these organizations have emerged as true heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic and we are grateful to be able to recognize these extraordinary leaders at this time,” said Kyu Rhee, M.D., M.P.P., Vice President and Chief Health Officer, IBM Watson Health.

“From small community hospitals to major teaching hospitals, organizations on this list demonstrate a relentless commitment to high value, patient-centered care and innovation. It is clear that the COVID-19 crisis will be a catalyst for reinvention, and we believe these top performing hospitals are positioned to emerge stronger and smarter out of this crisis.”

For more information, visit www.100tophospitals.com.

Former Atlanta officer who shot Rayshard Brooks granted bond
By KATE BRUMBACK Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) — A judge has ruled that the former Atlanta police officer who fatally shot Rayshard Brooks can be free on bond while his case is pending. A judge on Tuesday set a bond of $500,000 for Garrett Rolfe, who faces charges including felony murder in the killing of the 27-year-old Black man. Rolfe fatally shot Brooks in the back when Brooks fired a Taser in his direction while running away after a struggle on June 12. Rolfe is white. Felony murder convictions are punishable by a minimum sentence of life in prison. The shooting happened against the backdrop of demonstrations nationwide over police brutality.

Supreme Court lifts ban on state aid to religious schooling
By MARK SHERMAN Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has ruled that states can’t cut religious schools out of programs that send public money to private education.  The court’s 5-4 ruling, with conservatives in the majority, came Tuesday in a dispute over a Montana scholarship program for private K-12 education that also makes donors eligible for up to $150 in state tax credits. Montana’s highest court had struck down the tax credit as a violation of the state constitution’s ban on state aid to religious schools. The scholarships can be used at both secular and religious schools, but almost all the recipients attend religious schools.

From Powerball winner to scandal: Jack Whittaker dies at 72
By JOHN RABY Associated Press
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Andrew “Jack” Whittaker Jr., whose life became rife with setbacks and tragedy after winning a record $315 million Powerball jackpot in 2002, has died. He was 72. Ronald Meadows Funeral Parlor in Hinton on Tuesday confirmed Whittaker’s death. A funeral home official says Whittaker died of natural causes. Whittaker became an instant celebrity when he claimed what was then the largest U.S. lottery jackpot won by a single ticket. But he quickly fell victim to scandals, lawsuits and personal setbacks. His wife left him and both his daughter and drug-addicted granddaughter died. He also lost a home to fire.

Pittsburgh, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced the conclusion of its prompt interim response under the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act (HSCA) for the Pool Doctor-Beaver Alkali Products Site in Rochester, Beaver County. The site is now clear of hazardous chemicals that had been improperly stored and disposed within and outside buildings on the site. Final restoration of the site—which consisted of final grading, construction of a drainage swale, seeding, and mulching—has been completed.

“Unexpected emergencies like this one, involving potentially deadly chemicals, shows the need for secure funding for the HSCA program,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell.

On July 1, 2019, DEP initiated the prompt interim response under HSCA to remove and properly dispose of the chemicals at the site to mitigate the threat to human health, safety, and the environment.

When DEP initiated its response, the site consisted of many drums and containers of unknown liquids and solids improperly stored and disposed in dilapidated buildings. These substances were associated with chemical businesses and a laboratory that operated out of the buildings located on the property. This site was not a DEP-regulated facility, but DEP responded when it became aware that the threat of release of unknown substances into the environment posed a public health and environmental risk.

Over the course of its response, DEP—through its contractors—processed approximately 1,000 containers of waste materials, most of which were classified as hazardous. DEP identified and categorized the chemicals inside and outside the buildings and prepared them for disposal or recycling. This survey includes a visual assessment of interior spaces, identification and/or classification, descriptions, and estimated quantities of each chemical.

The site presented significant challenges due to the quantity of unmarked, mislabeled, and incompatible chemicals stored improperly and in deteriorating containers, which was exacerbated by the structural instability of the buildings. Hazardous substances found at the site included strong acids, bases, oxidizers, and solvents. Many of these materials are highly reactive and unstable, strong irritants, flammable, and prone to combustion in sunlight, heat or moisture.

DEP originally allocated $375,000 for its response and to collect, categorize, and properly dispose of miscellaneous chemical wastes removed from the dilapidated facility. Then, a collapsed building that housed a large amount of improperly stored chemicals contributed to a chemical reaction, fire and chemical release at the site on July 12, 2019. As work progressed, DEP found additional storage areas and stock of hazardous chemicals as well as drums buried on the property. This coupled with the cost of addressing structural issues within the remaining building to conduct the work safely, disposal, transport, and 24/7 security for the site led to the total cost exceeding $3 million. A forthcoming final project report will be posted to DEP’s project website and will include the final cost, a full listing of all substances removed, and where they were disposed of.

As required under HSCA, DEP held a public meeting and hearing on September 4, 2019, where it collected public comments. These comments and DEP’s response were added to documents and information gathered by the department to form the basis of the administrative record. The administrative record closed on December 5, 2019, and DEP issued its response to comments and statement of decision to conduct the response action that same day. These documents and other relevant information are available on DEP’s webpage for this matter.

While this phase of its response is complete, DEP continues to investigate any and all potentially responsible parties. DEP retains the right to pursue any site owners or other potentially responsible parties for all costs incurred by DEP during its response. DEP has notified the Borough of Rochester of the completion of the department’s prompt interim response.