CHESTER, PA — In a bid to modernize Pennsylvania’s long-term care facilities, the Department of Health’s Long-Term Care Transformation Office is injecting much-needed funding into infrastructure improvements. The latest recipient is The Belvedere, a skilled nursing facility in Chester, Delaware County, where Acting Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen recently showcased the impact of these investments.
The Belvedere, under the stewardship of Administrator Joseph Bewley, has utilized the $9,000 it received from the Transformation Office to upgrade its emergency communication equipment, implement a more sophisticated software system for improved resident care, and install HEPA filtration systems to enhance ventilation and airflow.
These changes come as part of the Quality Investment Pilot initiative launched by the Department of Health (DOH), aiming to supplement infrastructure advancements across the state’s long-term care facilities.
“As the complexity of care for residents increases, we want to ensure that facilities keep pace with the rising demands,” said Dr. Bogen. “We are helping facilities across Pennsylvania tackle the need for new technology and modernization of their equipment.”
The move comes at a critical time for the state’s long-term care industry, which faces mounting challenges from an aging population, increased complexity of care, and the ongoing threat of infectious diseases like COVID-19.
Earlier this year, the DOH consolidated its older Pennsylvania care efforts into the Long-Term Care Transformation Office, aiming to provide guidance and assistance to care communities across the state. This office not only focuses on workforce resiliency, infection prevention, and control, and emergency preparedness but also sustainable outbreak response operations to help protect residents.
“We put our trust in the staff of long-term care facilities to provide quality care to many older Pennsylvanians, and we must do our part to support this rewarding yet challenging work,” Bogen said. “That support includes ensuring the long-term care facilities are maintained and modernized.”
The investment at The Belvedere serves as an example of the positive changes the Long-Term Care Transformation Office is striving to implement across the Commonwealth. As Pennsylvania continues to grapple with the evolving challenges of long-term care, this focus on infrastructure modernization represents a vital step toward enhancing the quality of care for the state’s most vulnerable residents.
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