LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — One nursing home in our area has the fourth-highest number of coronavirus cases among long-term care facilities in the state, and also the fourth-highest number of deaths.
The state has released a long-awaited report detailing just how hard coronavirus is hitting individual nursing homes in Pennsylvania.
We've known that long term care facilities have been especially hard hit in parts of our area, but this new information shows how cases are spread out among individual nursing homes.
Allied Skilled Nursing Center in Scranton is the largest long-term care facility in Lackawanna County with 369 beds. We now know that it is among the hardest-hit facilities in the state when it comes to COVID-19.
For the first time, we're getting a picture of how COVID cases vary from nursing home to nursing home.
Here in our area, these facilities have the highest numbers.
- Allied in Scranton has 163 positive cases and 41 deaths.
- Mountain View Care Center, also in Scranton, has 109 cases and 7 deaths.
- Timber Ridge Health Care near Wilkes-Barre has 101 cases and 26 deaths.
- Pleasant Valley Manor in Monroe County has 93 cases and 21 deaths.
This data confirms that Lackawanna County's nursing homes have been especially hard hit.
The numbers that the state has released differ from data released last week by the Lackawanna County coroner. That may be because the state counts deaths by an individual's home county, not the county where they died.
The new data also shows that nursing home residents make up almost half of all the coronavirus cases in Lackawanna County.
The Department of Health is reporting 41 deaths at Allied Skilled Nursing in Scranton. That's a big difference from the 25 deaths reported by the county coroner just last week.
We reached out to Allied asking them to explain the disparity and officials said in a statement:
"We are extremely heartbroken for every resident and family member who have experienced loss during this pandemic. We believe that each and every loss is too many as our staff takes care of them like members of their own family, and we are all devastated.
"Our nursing home is the largest nonprofit skilled nursing facility in the region. In our 369-bed facility, we provide professional and compassionate care for the sickest, most vulnerable and elderly in Northeastern Pennsylvania, including residents who were on life-sustaining ventilator care even prior to the COVID -19 pandemic.
"Our facility continues to report positive COVID-19 cases, as well as deaths associated with COVID-19 to all applicable agencies, in accordance with the guidelines established by the Pennsylvania Department of Health for nursing homes. To date, 18 residents have passed away, as a result of complications from COVID-19 while residing in our skilled nursing facility. Additionally, 10 of our residents who were receiving acute care in local hospitals, and were expected to return to our facility, passed away in those hospitals prior to returning to Allied Services. All 28 of these unfortunate deaths were reported in accordance with state and locally established guidelines.
"The data published on the Department of Health website today was not made available to facilities prior to public posting, so we are reviewing this data for the first time, as is the public. In the coming days, we will work with the Pennsylvania Department of Health to attempt a reconciliation of the discrepancies in both the number of reported cases, as well as the number of reported deaths, in order to best ensure the integrity of the data.
"Additionally, and not reported by the Department of Health, we have had over 60 residents in our facility courageously battle COVID-19 and recover from the disease.
"Allied Services continues to have the utmost regard for the ongoing welfare, safety, and health of our residents. Facility Administration continues to monitor the frequently updated guidance from The Pennsylvania Department of Health, CDC, CMS, and local health departments. We continue to implement policy and protocol changes, in response to best practices, as they are identified by these governmental agencies. All of our staff members continue to follow CDC recommendations to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19, including the use of Personal Protective Equipment."