Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council

01/01/2021

PHC4 Offices are closed today. Happy New Year!

12/31/2020

12/30/2020

Learn how to submit a request for data at https://www.phc4.org/services/datarequests/howtosubmit.htm

12/29/2020

Pennsylvania Department of Health

Start your day with a walk, take a walking break at lunchtime or go for an after dinner stroll. Find a local outdoor walking route near you: bit.ly/pawalkworks

12/24/2020

Wishing everyone a very safe and happy holiday!

12/23/2020

Pennsylvania Department of Health

Help your family and others in your community have a healthy holiday season:
😷 wear a mask
↔️ stay at least 6 feet from others not in your household
👋 wash your hands often
👥 avoid gatherings
🏡 stay home as much as possible

12/22/2020

The next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 7, 2021 at 10 AM.

12/21/2020

Pennsylvania Department of Health

Masks help to protect those around you from #COVID19 and offer some protection to you too. Be sure to wear your mask correctly—cover your mouth AND nose. #MaskUpPA

12/18/2020

12/18/2020

Pennsylvania Department of Health

Exposure to cold temperatures—indoors or outdoors—can cause serious or life-threatening health problems. Follow these tips to stay safe during the winter months ⬇️

12/16/2020

NON-GENERAL ACUTE CARE HOSPITALS EXPERIENCED MIXED FINANCIAL MARGINS IN 2019. See the full results in a the newly released financial analysis at www.phc4.org

The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council will release Financial Analysis 2019 Volume Three on Wednesday, December 16, 2020. The report includes statewide data and facility-specific information about the financial health of Pennsylvania’s non-general acute care hospitals, which include rehabilitation, psychiatric, long-term acute care and specialty hospitals, for fiscal year 2019.

12/16/2020

Stay safe out there everyone!

⚠️ Shoveling snow is strenuous exercise! Follow these tips to shovel safely:
✔️ take it slow
✔️ push snow instead of lifting
✔️ take breaks
✔️ drink water
✔️ STOP shoveling and CALL 911 if you experience any heart attack symptoms

12/15/2020

Annually, PHC4 collects more than 1.7 million inpatient discharge records from Pennsylvania hospitals and over 3.5 million ambulatory/outpatient records from Pennsylvania ambulatory surgery centers. These records are available for those who wish to analyze detailed discharge and procedure data, with more than 70 data fields available, which include clinical, utilization, and administrative data. Learn more at www.phc4.org

12/14/2020

When planning your upcoming holiday celebrations, remember that the safest way to celebrate winter holidays is to celebrate at home with the people who live with you. Staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others.

Travel and gatherings with family and friends who do not live with you can increase your chances of getting or spreading COVID-19 or the flu. Learn more at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays/winter.html

12/11/2020

The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council will release Financial Analysis 2019 Volume Three on Wednesday, December 16, 2020. The report includes statewide data and facility-specific information about the financial health of Pennsylvania’s non-general acute care hospitals, which include rehabilitation, psychiatric, long-term acute care and specialty hospitals, for fiscal year 2019.

12/10/2020

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Let’s show Pennsylvania’s health care workers some love by doing our part to slow the COVID spread:

😷 Mask up
↔️ Keep physical distance from people not in our household
🛑 Avoid large gatherings
🧼 Practice good health habits

12/07/2020

Governor Tom Wolf

With COVID cases spiking, Pennsylvania is projected to run out of intensive care beds in mid-December.

The best thing we can do is protect ourselves and others from getting this virus. Stay home as much as possible, wear masks, avoid gatherings, and practice good health habits.

12/04/2020

Timeline Photos

12/03/2020

The 2019 HOSPITAL PERFORMANCE REPORT evaluates hospital performance on common medical conditions and surgical procedures. Released annually, results are reported for the general acute care hospitals in Pennsylvania. The most recent addition also highlights statewide declines in mortality and readmission rates.

https://www.phc4.org/reports/hpr/19/

12/01/2020

Report on 2019 care shows higher-than-expected mortality rates at 2 local hospitals | Times Leader

Report on 2019 care shows higher-than-expected mortality rates at 2 local hospitals | Times Leader

Two of Luzerne County’s three hospitals had “higher than expected” mortality or readmission rates for patients admitted with certain conditions in 2019, according to an annual report released Tuesday.

12/01/2020

Higher-than-expected death rates at central Pa. hospitals highlighted in report

The new PHC4 report is available at www.phc4.org

Most central Pennsylvania hospitals had one or more higher than expected mortality rate in a new report looking at success for more than a dozen common hospital treatments.

11/30/2020

On 12-1-2020 PHC4 will publish the 2019 Hospital Performance Report at www.phc4.org

11/27/2020

11/24/2020

PHC4 will release its 2019 Hospital Performance Report (HPR) on Tuesday, December 1, 2020. The report includes hospital-specific mortality and readmission ratings as well as volume of cases and hospital charges for patients discharged from Pennsylvania’s general acute care hospitals from October 1, 2018 through September 30, 2019 (federal fiscal year [FFY] 2019). Statewide trends are also examined.

11/23/2020

As COVID-19 Cases Reach Critical Levels, Wolf Admin Announces New Mitigation Efforts

New COVID-19 Mitigation Efforts For Pennsylvania have been announced today.

With new modeling projecting 22,000 new COVID-19 cases per day in PA in December, Gov. Wolf and Sec. of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today announced new targeted mitigation measures to help stop the spread during this critical time.

11/20/2020

Pennsylvania Department of Health

Pennsylvania's #COVID19 Vaccine Plan is now on the DOH website, along with COVID-19 vaccine frequently asked questions. View the plan and FAQs here: https://bit.ly/PACOVID19Vaccine

11/19/2020

Hospitalizations for diabetes are often considered potentially preventable with primary or preventive care. PHC4’s most recent brief on this subject showed a total of 27,728 potentially preventable hospitalizations for diabetes in FY 2019. Learn what steps you can take to either prevent or manage diabetes at https://www.diabetes.org/diabetes

Having type 2 #diabetes increases your risk of severe illness from #COVID19. Take action:
▪️ continue taking diabetes pills + insulin
▪️ test blood sugar + keep track of results
▪️ have 30-day supply of medicine
▪️ call your health care provider with concerns or feel sick

11/18/2020

American Diabetes Association

The holidays are stressful, especially if you live with type 2 diabetes. This year Know Diabetes by Heart™ is here to help. Text HOLIDAY to 22639 for some extra support over the next few weeks and get entered for the chance to win an Amazon gift card to keep or give away. Holiday cheer, here we come! No Purch. Nec. Ends 12/6/20. 18+, US only, Rules https://bit.ly/2HLhyQh

11/17/2020

Pennsylvania Department of Health

Today Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine announced targeted efforts to control the spread of #COVID19 in Pennsylvania, including:

▪️ Issuing a memo to acute care hospital CEOs/CMOs outlining opportunity to work collaboratively and expectations if they don’t to ensure health systems can provide care to Pennsylvanians who need it
▪️ Issuing an order requiring anyone who visits Pennsylvania from another state to get tested w/in 72 hours before entering PA. Pennsylvanians who traveled to other states must follow same rules when coming home. Does not apply to those who commute to/from another state for work or medical treatment
▪️ Strengthening the masking order. Masks are still required. Indoors: masks now required anytime you’re with people outside of your household, even if you’re socially distant. Applies to all indoor facilities and if you have people in your home not part of your household
▪️ DOH and the Pennsylvania Department of Education issuing recommendations for colleges and universities to develop and implement a testing strategy to prevent outbreaks when students return to campus from the holiday break

ℹ️ More information about the targeted efforts: https://bit.ly/3lFtcLb

11/17/2020

PA Unites Against COVID | PA.GOV

COVID is tough, but together Pennsylvanians are tougher. United, we can defeat the virus. You matter, and so do your actions. When we make good choices and follow health and safety measures, we see results. Let’s work together to stop the spread.

COVID-19 is relentless. But Pennsylvanians are too. Together, our grit, determination, and smarts will get us through this. United we are strong, united we can win and we can stop the spread of the virus.

11/16/2020

Pennsylvania Department of Health

Do you wash your hands properly every time? It's important to scrub hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds each time you wash. Learn about the key times to wash: http://bit.ly/2h1zVCR

11/13/2020

The month of November brings recognition of Lung Cancer and Stomach Cancer Awareness. PHC4 reporting provides information about the number of cancer-related surgeries performed at Pennsylvania hospitals.

11/12/2020

Office of Minority Health - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Providers: The U.S Department of Health and Human Services has compiled a list of prevention programs and tools to help you combat the opioid crisis. Access toolkits, evidence-based approaches, media campaign materials and more and share with your colleagues: https://www.hhs.gov/opioids/prevention/prevention-programs-tools/index.html

11/12/2020

Governor Tom Wolf

Governor Tom Wolf

Thank you to every business that is taking action to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Your efforts are saving lives.

We are still in this fight, but now we have more resources to help:

ℹ️ Guidance for businesses: governor.pa.gov/covid-19/
😷 Medical supply portals: on.pa.gov/2FNrTKN
🍴 Restaurant self-certification: pa.gov/covid/open-and-certified-pennsylvania/
✅ Open & Certified PA: https://spportal.dot.pa.gov/self-certify/pages/self-certify-search.aspx
💼 Community Resources: https://www.pa.gov/covid/stop-the-spread/community-resources/
🖥 COVID-19 Resource Guide: pa.gov/responding-to-covid
📱 COVID Alert PA app: pa.gov/covid/covid-alert-pa/

11/11/2020