MONEYSAVER
SMETHPORT, EAST SMETHPORT, CROSBY, GIFFORD, REW, CYCLONE, HAZEL HURST, MT. JEWETT, PORT A, ROULETTE, DUKE CENTER, ELDRED, RIXFORD, TURTLEPOINT
SEPTEMBER 08, 2020
CAR. TR. MKTG MAIL US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 244 BRADFORD, PA Occupant Rural-Star Route P.O. Box Holder
NEWS
Nurse practitioners gaining traction as dominant medical care providers; local area has eye on future By JOELLEN WANKEL A new county-bycounty report from the Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners (PCNP) indicates a significant amount of PA has found medical care reliant on nurse practitioners over physicians in recent years. However, local trends show our area is in the minority with only one of four counties reporting a decrease in physicians. The report found rapid growth in the number of NPs practicing in Pennsylvania. The profession grew by 22 percent from 2015 to 2017; NP care expanded in 57 of 67 counties and decreased in none of them. Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing (SBON) records show significant growth in the NP profession. According to SBON, Pennsylvania had 11,439 licensed nurse practitioners in 2017, which grew to a total of 15,391 in 2020. Local numbers corresponded with the trend, as Elk County saw a 63% increase in the number of nurse practitioners in the county from 2015 to 2017, while McKean County saw a 46% increase in nurse practitioners. Potter County’s number of nurse practitioners remained the same. Meanwhile, the Commonwealth experienced a 1 percent decrease in primary care physicians, including a decline in 37 of 67 counties. Cameron County was one of those experiencing a significant decrease, reporting a 50% decrease in physicians from 2015 to 2017 and experiencing no change in the number of practicing nurse practitioners during that time period. However, Elk County saw a 31% increase, McKean County experienced a 15% increase and Potter County’s number of physicians remained the same. Despite the reported increase, the continued declining numbers nation and statewide are a concern for local hospitals. “The total number of healthcare providers in the area has decreased over the years while the proportion of APPs to physicians has increased. BRMC maintains a very active
provider recruitment team, but rural areas are competing with urban areas for scarce resources and frequently are at an economic disadvantage to attract and retain qualified providers,” said William Mills, MD, chief medical officer, Bradford Regional Medical Center, Olean General Hospital, Upper Allegheny Health System. “The supply of healthcare providers across the country is less than the demand. Rural areas are struggling more than urban areas to attract and retain physicians.” According to information from PCNP, the demand for primary care in Pennsylvania has outpaced the availability of primary care physicians (PCPs) to meet it for a number of years. In 2015 the Joint State Government Commission warned that an 11 percent increase in PCPs would be necessary simply to maintain the status quo in primary health care access. Yet the downturn in the number of PCPs continued. “As an attempt to offset the shortage, most regions, including ours, are using advanced practice professionals (APPs) to improve access,” Mills said. “APPs include physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives and nurse anesthetists. As the types and roles of APPs evolve, we will be seeing an increase in their use throughout the country. “At BRMC, there are currently 40 APPs and 116 physicians on the medical staff. Not all of the physicians reside in the area and as telehealth services increase, the number of physicians on staff may increase while the actual number of physicians in the area decreases.” For UPMC Cole, the story is positive but with an ever-present concern for the future. “UPMC Cole has experienced continual growth in our provider network as well as the complimentary support services,” said Tim Brown, vice president of operations, UPMC Cole. Staffing is up to the task of providing quality care to area residents, but UPMC Cole prioritizes efforts to maintain that capability.
Pa. to allow spectators at high school sporting events By PATRICK KOTNIK Spectators will now be allowed at Pennsylvania sporting events, including Pre-K-12 sports, this fall, but those fans will count toward the state gathering limitations. This revision was made to the COVID-19 sports guidelines on Governor Tom Wolf’s website. The state gathering limitations for sporting events are 25 or fewer people for indoor events and 250 or fewer for outdoor events. In addition, facilities “may not exceed 50% of total occupancy otherwise permitted by law,” per the guidelines. The guidelines also say that spectators, along with everyone else in attendance at games, including coaches, officials, athletes and staff must wear face coverings “unless they are outdoors and can consistently maintain social distancing of at least six feet.” Later on Wednesday, the state House of Representatives passed House Bill 2787 by a 155-47 vote. The bill would allow school districts to make decisions regarding fall sports and spectators. It will now move to the senate. Smethport High School athletic director Rick Woodring is happy that fans will have the opportunity to attend athletic events, but the logistics have to be worked out. “I’m glad to see that fans will be permitted,” Woodring said. “We are going to have to just try to work out how we can identify which fans will be able to attend and how many. “What’s gonna have to happen, if we’re gonna have to get for each game an accurate count of who is involved in that game — players, coaches, statisticians, trainers, officials, chain gang, clock operators, possibly ambulance. We’re gonna have to get those numbers of what they are for that particular night. We’re gonna have to know that in advance so we know how many slots are open that can then be filled by fans.” Woodring also said that number is bound to change week-to-week depending on roster sizes and number of coaches. The situation has a chance to be problematic for sports like
Pam Fischer photo Port Allegany wide receiver Isaiah Wiley catches a pass while a teammate looks on during Monday’s practice in Port Allegany. Local Pennsylvania teams were able to begin padded practices this week and are planning on starting the 2020 season on Sept. 18.
football, depending on the roster sizes, number of coaches as well as officials, trainers and more. Since indoor sports like volleyball are limited to just 25 or fewer people inside, there’s really no chance for spectators. Sports like soccer and even junior high football will be more doable when it comes to holding spectators. “It’s kind of a mixed bag,” Bradford Area High School athletic director Mike Erickson said. “We’re all working on ways we’re doing live streaming and everything and now we’re doing it again. I feel good for some of the parents, but there’s no way we’re going to be able to let every parent in for a Friday night football game. Some sports we will, though. It’s going to be not fair for some of them. It’s going to be difficult. “It’s just going to make what has already been a very, very difficult fall even more difficult for us on our end, but on the flip side of it, maybe the parents will be able to see some games.” Smethport and Bradford will play in a four-county bubble which includes Elk, McKean, Potter and Cameron counties. Competitions
for participating schools begin on Sept. 14, with football games kicking off on Sept. 18. Band members and cheerleaders from home teams will be permitted at games within the bubble. Woodring said these discussions regarding the logistics will have to happen soon with the Sept. 14 date less than two weeks away. “The other question comes up with the slots available: Do we share with the other visiting school or not? And I think all the schools within the bubble will have to discuss that so that everyone is on the same agreement and page,” Woodring said. “So that discussion is going to have to be done quickly so we can all determine what to do with the slots available for fans at each game and that number will deviate depending on the size of the squads that are participating in the event.” “We just don’t have a clear guidance yet on what is going to be expected or what’s going to be even permitted for that matter,” Erickson said. “Ultimately, I think it’s going to be up to what the superintendents in the bubble decide that we’re going to do.”
One new COVID-19 death reported in McKean County
One new death as the result of COVID-19 was reported this past week in McKean County, the second death in the county traced to the pandemic. As of late last week, McKean County had recorded a total of 41 cases, while Elk County had recorded 64 positive cases since the outset of the coronavirus pandemic. Potter County has had 25 positive cases and Cameron County has had eight positive cases, as of late last week. There had been 7,732 total deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Pennsylvania as of last week. Maskwearing is required in all businesses and whenever leaving home. Consistent maskSee NURSE on page 2... wearing is critical to
preventing the spread of COVID-19. Meanwhile, The Lutheran Home at Kane is making the community aware of its first employee positive case of COVID-19. Administration was informed Sept. 2 that an employee had tested positive for the virus and actions plans were put into place immediately. The test results have been reported to the Department of Health. The positive employee is not working at this time but was in the facility performing nursing duties on their last day of work which was Aug. 25. “We continue to follow CDC guidelines and we are taking every precaution to ensure the virus does not spread
in the building,” said Charlotte Floravit, Nursing Home Administrator. The COVID-19 prevention guidelines for The Lutheran Home at Kane residents remain very strict. Group activities and communal dining have once again been postponed. Those who enter the wings continue to be limited to essential staff wearing the additional proper personal protective equipment including N95 masks, face shields, gloves and gowns. Transmission-based precautions with laundry services and housekeeping are still being followed. High touch areas are cleaned frequently including surfaces such as doorknobs, switches,
remotes, tables, sinks, and toilets. All residents and staff are screened twice daily for signs, symptoms and temperature. Residents and staff will be tested weekly moving forward. The first round of testing began Wednesday afternoon and will be completed by the end of the week. With a positive case of the virus, the Lutheran Home goes back to stage one which includes no visitation. At this time we cannot allow outdoor or Speak Easy visits. Window visits will be the only means of visitation but windows are required to be closed at all times and visitors MUST wear a mask. “Our number one priority is for the safety
See COVID on page 2...