Three area Commonwealth Health hospitals are among fewer than two dozen hospitals throughout Pennsylvania ranked in the bottom two tiers in the latest federal quality star rating reports.
Three area Commonwealth Health hospitals are among fewer than two dozen hospitals throughout Pennsylvania ranked in the bottom two tiers in the latest federal quality star rating reports.
Distribution of Pfizerâs COVID-19 vaccine to nursing homes is expected to begin statewide Dec. 28, according to the state Department of Health, but officials at Lackawanna County facilities donât expect to receive doses until January.
The vaccine will be administered by pharmacists with CVS and Walgreens, which signed an agreement with the Department of Human Services in October to service all nursing homes and other long term care facilities nationwide.
The state Health Department has not provided nursing homes with information regarding which counties or regions of the state will be first to get the vaccine. That decision is being made by CVS and Walgreens in conjunction with DHS, a spokesperson for the Health Department said.
COVID-19 vaccines arrived for front-line health care workers at Geisinger Community Medical Center in Scranton.
Some GCMC medical workers received their first of two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine Thursday, the same day a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel overwhelmingly recommended a second vaccine for emergency use in the United States. Final authorization of that vaccine, made by Moderna, is expected as early as today.
As distribution of the Pfizer vaccine continues over the coming weeks, state Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said Thursday that officials are âhopefulâ doses of Modernaâs vaccine will be distributed beginning next week.