Nursing Homes

COVID-19 Information for Nursing Homes

Skilled nursing facilities are licensed by the PA Department of Health, and are often referred to as nursing homes. There are other types of long-term care facilities licensed by the PA Department of Human Services, such as personal care homes and assisted living facilities.

PA HAN

Health Alerts, Advisories and Updates

Staffing, Testing, PPE and Other Support for Facilities

Links to Request Support

PPE: For PPE requests, complete this online form: Healthcare Facility / Agency PPE Critical Needs Assessment Form.
Staffing: For short-term crisis staffing support due to a COVID-19 outbreak, complete this online form to request staffing for a 3-5 day period: Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Task Force Staffing Support Request. If your facility is working with Penn State or UPenn RCAT, you must work directly with their RCAT for staffing support and NOT utilize this form.
Testing: To request assistance with COVID-19 outbreak testing, complete this online form: Universal Testing Needs Assessment Form. Your request will be considered, and someone from the Long-Term Care Task Force will be in touch with you. For questions about testing, email ra-dhCOVIDtesting@pa.gov.
Regional Congregate Care Assistance Teams (RCAT): With the ending of the Regional Response Health Collaborative (RRHC) on December 30, 2020, RCAT will provide COVID-19 outbreak support to facilities. Learn more about RCAT.
Vaccines: Facilities that are enrolled in the Federal Pharmacy Partnership have been contacted directly by CVS or Walgreens. Facilities not enrolled in the Federal Pharmacy Partnership, please complete this form: PA Long-Term Care Facility State COVID-19 Vaccination Partnership. For questions about vaccines, email ra-dhCOVIDvax@pa.gov.
For general nursing home questions about COVID-19, email ra-dhSNFquestion@pa.gov.

Additional Testing Information

To request assistance with outbreak testing, complete this online form: Universal Testing Needs Assessment Form. Your request will be considered, and someone from the Long-Term Care Task Force will be in touch with you.
If you have received Curative test kits, the Long-Term Care Task Force has sent an email to your facility with instructions for returning them. If your facility did not receive the email or has any questions, please email ra-dhCOVIDtesting@pa.gov.
If your facility has a CLIA waiver and a Pennsylvania lab permit and is in need of Abbott BinaxNOW cards, please send an email to ra-dhBinaxNOWtests@pa.gov. Include your facility point of contact’s name and email address along with the facility name and address. Please see the COVID-19 Laboratory Testing Frequently Asked Questions for more information about the requirements for performing testing at your facility.

If your facility does not have a laboratory engaged for COVID-19 testing, view a list of laboratories that conduct COVID-19 testing. This list is provided for informational purposes only, and the facility would be responsible for any cost.