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This is an update to the message you received on Thursday, December 16th. During this unprecedented time, long-term care facilities (LTCFs) have been disproportionally affected by the COIVD-19 pandemic. The Department recognizes the COVID-19 pandemic is not over and the Department is committed to continue to support response operations for COVID-19 outbreaks. The Department, in partnership, with the Department of Human Services, will be transitioning from the Regional Congregate Care Teams (RCATs) to the new LTC RISE (Long-term Care Resiliency, Infrastructure Supports, and Empowerment) program, effective January 1, 2022. This program will continue to provide LTCFs with COVID-19 outbreak response support including:
1. Each awardee will have a dedicated phone line with 24/7 access, including designated office hours, for inquiries, consultations, and follow up calls from long-term care facilities.
2. Each awardee will provide consultation and technical assistance, assessment and feedback, training, and incident management coaching.
The Department also recognizes the crucial need to support enhancing long-term care facility resiliency and self-reliance with the purpose of preventing and effectively responding to COVID-19 and other infectious disease outbreaks. Therefore, as part of the new program, awardees will also be providing quality improvement project opportunities to interested skilled nursing facilities, intermediate care facilities, personal care homes, and assisted living facilities in the following areas:
1. Promoting professional development and a resilient long-term care facility workforce.
2. Implementing infection prevention and control and emergency preparedness best practices to enhance delivery of resident-centered care.
3. Building a sustainable outbreak response operation construct that meets the facility’s needs.
The Department strongly encourages long-term care facilities to engage with the awardee in their respective regions and take advantage of the valuable services they are providing to help build resilience and self-reliance.
| LTC RISE Partner 24/7 Phone Lines | ||
| LTC RISE Partner | Counties Covered | 24/7 Phone Line |
| Penn Medicine in partnership with Temple Health | Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Schuylkill | (215) 707-1300 |
| The Pennsylvania State University | Adams, Bedford, Blair, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry, York | (717) 265-8577 |
| LECOM Health | Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Venango, Warren | (814) 451-1595 |
| AMI Expeditionary HealthcareSouthwest Region | Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Somerset, Washington, Westmoreland | (844) 426-4582 |
| AMI Expeditionary Healthcare Northcentral Region | Bradford, Centre, Clinton, Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Potter, Tioga, Snyder, Sullivan, Union | (833) 227-2279 |
| AMI Expeditionary HealthcareNortheast Region | Carbon, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming | (844) 232-6234 |
The Department has developed plans to ensure a smooth operational transition and will provide further communications with long-term care facilities as needed to ensure they have all necessary information related to the new program. For additional information, please visit the LTC RISE webpage.
As a reminder, these remain available:
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