HERSHEY, Pa. — Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf visited Hershey Medical Center on June 24 to thank staff and learn more about how Penn State Health is handling the coronavirus pandemic and preparing for a possible resurgence in the fall.
“For almost four months, the staff here has done an amazing job working day and night to care for patients,” Wolf said, addressing staff in attendance. “Taking care of patients with a new virus that we didn’t know much about was a challenge, and you’ve had to balance their health and wellness with keeping the other patients at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center safe. That took a team effort.”
Penn State Health has ensured preparedness in many ways. At the forefront are members of the Special Pathogens Team at Hershey Medical Center, who have been training for several years for an outbreak like COVID-19. Hershey Medical Center is one of several academic hospitals in the country to have the infrastructure and specialized training to offer care during the outbreak of a seriously lethal contagion and help minimize its spread. St. Joseph Medical Center has also benefited from the team’s expertise, as well as from innovative supply chain solutions employed at the health system level.
Wolf was joined by Hershey Medical Center President Deborah Berini and Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine.
“Today, our work continues — not only to ensure we can treat current COVID-19 patients and that we are ready for any potential future surge, but also to make sure that every patient who needs us can safely and confidently receive care,” said Berini. “As we do so, every step forward is made to find new and better ways to serve our patients while following careful consideration of public health guidelines, including from the Pennsylvania Department of Health.”