Farry: The public hearing urgently shows to remedy the closings of the hospital and the lack of personnel in Pennsylvania

Harrisburg – – Senator Frank Farthyry (R-6), Chairman of the Committee for Institutional Senate and Innovation Committee of the Senate, today led a public hearing that focused on the current crisis for hospitals throughout Pennsylvania, including closures, critical personnel lack and access to specialties.

The hearing held in the state captain brought together health leaders and political experts from all over the Commonwealth in order to provide evidence of the structural and financial challenges with which hospitals face, especially in rural and sub -supplied communities.

“The Pennsylvanians should have access to reliable, high -quality care, no matter where they live,” said Farry. “Today's hearing emphasized that the communities could lose important health services without quick and strategic measures and that patients could only leave limited or no options for urgent or specialized care.”

Representatives of large health systems, including Nicole Stallings, President and CEO of the hospital and health system Association, included Pennsylvania (HAP); Dr. Mark Rubino from Allegheny Health Network; Steven M. Fontaine, CEO by Penn Highlands Healthcare; Katherine E. Levins from the health system of Temple University; and Dr. Ed Sabanegh, President and CEO of Guthrie Clinic.

One of the most important questions raised during the hearing was the increasing financial pressure on hospitals caused by inflation, requirements of the workforce and reimbursement problems.

“My main message is today that the hospital community in Pennsylvania is in a very fragile state and that the solutions to combat future closures must be future -oriented, comprehensive and sustainable,” said Stallings. “More than half of the Commonwealth acute hospitals are active in red. Many are confronted with several years of operating losses. If the closings of the hospital are announced, other hospitals are often asked in nearby communities and expect them to occur and ensure that access to supply is continued.”

The continuing lack of health employees, especially nurses and specialists from the Allies, was another focus of the hearing.

“Sometimes our industry is accused of crying for professional bottlenecks, but as a guide of two hospitals, I can tell you that the bottlenecks are real and the vacancy rates are high,” said Rubino. “We do our best, but in Allegheny Health Network we have some hospital units that are empty – not because we are missing the demand of the patients, but because we cannot lease them. The volume is there, the space is there, but we cannot physically absorb the patients because we do not have the staff.”

The cascading effects of hospital closures that contribute to longer emergency times and reduced access to care in many regions were also discussed under the statements and committee members.

“Sustainability of the hospital is not just a problem with health care – it is a public security and economic question,” said Farry. “We will take what we heard today and work towards cross -party solutions that strengthen our health infrastructure and protect Pennsylvania patients.”

Take a look at the entire hearing here.

Contact: Nicole McGerry