HARRISBURG – During a joint public hearing conducted by two Senate committees on Thursday, Senator Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) voiced her concern over the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s priorities based on testimony from stakeholders representing nursing homes throughout Pennsylvania not having adequate assistance from the state.
“Based on the Department of Health’s website, the opioid crisis and nursing homes are two of the department’s primary missions. Our personal care homes and nursing homes feel ignored based on testimony earlier today,” Phillips-Hill said. “Opioid overdose cases are up by 300 percent in York County.”
“Why was this an appropriate time to establish a portal to allow residents to tattle on one another, when at this time we should be utilizing all of our resources in fighting COVID-19 and maintaining the department’s core missions,” she asked.
Phillips-Hill referenced a new portal created by the Department of Health to allow citizens to alert the department when other citizens are not following social distancing guidelines, wearing a mask or maintain a clean workplace.
“Instead of creating new portals, the department should focus on the core mission which is protecting our most vulnerable population in nursing homes,” she added.
You can watch Senator Phillips-Hill’s Q&A here.
