Order of the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health Requiring Reduction of Elective Procedures in Regions with Low Acute Care Treatment Capacity

The record

Jurisdiction

Pennsylvania

Level

State

Authority

Disease Prevention and Control Law of 1955, 35 P.S. 521.5; Administrative Code 2102(a); 71 P.S. 1403(a)

Issued

2020-11-23 Nov. 23, 2020

Effective

2020-11-23 (Reduction Notices issued region by region on 24 hours' notice) (read as 2020-11-23)

End

Ran with the disaster emergency (ended June 10, 2021 by concurrent resolution) and the Secretary's mitigation orders (lifted May 31, 2021) (read as 2021-06-10)

In force

Nov. 23, 2020 to June 10, 2021

Quarters

2020 Q42021 Q12021 Q2

2020 Q22020 Q32020 Q42021 Q12021 Q22021 Q3

Limitation types

Capacity limitHealth care orders

Addressees

• Acute Care Hospitals licensed under section 808 of the Health Care Facilities Act in the six Regions (East Central, Southwest, Keystone, North Central, [Northwest, Southeast])

Functions reached

• SX 50 percent reduction on notice
• IP
• WF staffing reporting
• OF

Collection

Hospitals and Health Systems SEC-01

Operative words

A. Upon notice from the Department (Reduction Notice), an Acute Care Hospital located in a Region [meeting the metrics in] Subsection B shall reduce by fifty percent (50%) elective procedures that are scheduled to be performed at the Acute Care Hospital in the seven (7) days following the effective date of the [Reduction Notice]. B. A Reduction Notice shall be issued by the Department when hospitals in a Region have reported [data indicating] the Region meets two (2) or more of the following metrics: 1. Staffing Shortage - Thirty-three percent (33%) or more of hospitals in the Region [anticipate staffing shortages]; 2. COVID-19 Surge - A greater than fifty percent (50%) increase in the moving average of COVID-19 admissions in the Region has occurred in the last forty-eight (48) hours; 3. Inadequate Bed Availability - Less than ten percent (10%) of the total staffed medical/surgical beds in a Region are anticipated to be available... D. A Reduction Notice shall be in effect for seven (7) days from its effective date [renewable by Extension Notice until a Resumption Notice].

Enforcement

Notes