HAP Statement on Governor’s Announcement of Support for Hospitals

State support will expand capacity, bolster staff to care for Pennsylvanians

Harrisburg, PA (January 7, 2022) – The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) applauds Governor Tom Wolf’s announcement of support to address the capacity and staffing crises hospitals are facing as the number of Pennsylvanians hospitalized with COVID-19 surges. HAP President and CEO Andy Carter released the following statement:

“HAP and Pennsylvania's health care community thank Governor Wolf for his swift response delivering critical support to help hospitals continue to protect the health of their patients and communities.

Hospital teams are working through extraordinary circumstances to provide high quality care; but they are strained. Hospitals are treating more people with COVID-19 than at any other time during this pandemic and the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has increased 51 percent in the past two weeks alone. This surge comes during the most severe health care staffing shortage in recent memory.

HAP thanks the Governor and leaders in the General Assembly for their continued communication and dedication to supporting health care providers as they care for Pennsylvanians.”

Background:  Pennsylvania hospitals have been strained since early December due a combination of rising COVID-19 cases, the flu and other seasonal illnesses, a severe health care staffing shortage, and an influx of patients requiring more intensive care due to care being delayed earlier in the pandemic. The recent surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations—driven by the holiday season and the new Omicron variant—has quickly escalated the crisis.

As of January 3:

• 37 percent of Pennsylvania hospitals are at 90 percent capacity or higher for staffed inpatient beds and 9 percent were at 100 percent capacity or higher
• 24 percent of Pennsylvania hospitals are at 90 percent capacity or higher for staffed intensive care unit (ICU) beds and 14 percent are at 100 percent capacity or higher
• 3 percent of Pennsylvania hospitals have both their ICU and inpatient staffed beds at or above full capacity

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