Federal vaccine mandate threatens revenue, staffing at Westmoreland Manor

Westmoreland Manor potentially could forfeit tens of millions of dollars this fall under the new federal policy that requires nursing home employees to be vaccinated for coronavirus.

County officials said they are assessing the impact of the vaccination mandate announced Aug. 18 that also carried a threat from President Biden to withhold Medicare and Medicaid funding to facilities not in compliance. The new requirements are expected to begin in October.

“The county is unable to comment further on the specifics of the president’s announcement until it has had the opportunity to review the actual regulations, which will not be available until September,” county solicitor Melissa Guiddy said.

The county-owned Westmoreland Manor, a 408-bed nursing home in Hempfield, relies on Medicare and Medicaid payments as its primary source of revenue. That funding stream accounts for about 95% of the facility’s revenues, which according to the 2021 budget is expected to be more than $48.5 million this year. The Manor generated more than $52 million in revenues in 2020.

The Manor has more than 400 employees, including nurses, support staff and administrators. As of this week, 65% of its staff had been fully vaccinated for the coronavirus. More than 90% of residents are vaccinated, Guiddy said.

According to federal reporting, 197 residents and 113 staffers at the Manor tested positive for the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. One employee tested positive this week, Guiddy said.

The county has not required Manor employees — or any other county worker — to be vaccinated for coronavirus.

“This will affect all nursing homes, not just Westmoreland Manor,” county Commissioner Gina Cerilli Thrasher said. “I understand both sides. If my loved one is in the nursing home, I certainly would want all staff to be vaccinated. It’s not fair to the families that are vaccinated and not able to visit during an outbreak.”

Thrasher suggested vaccination mandates for Manor employees could jeopardize the county’s ability to adequately staff the facility, which for the past year has struggled to hire nurses and other employees. Dozens of vacant nursing positions prompted the county this summer to increase signing bonuses for new hires.

“I am afraid that nursing homes will not be able to keep up with the staff ratios. I hope that if employees choose not to get vaccinated, that the mandate would be for them to get tested daily or on a regular basis. We are waiting to find out the exact details,” Thrasher said.

Most Manor employees are members of SEIU HealthCare Pennsylvania.

The union views the coronavirus vaccine as safe and effective and is committed to helping shape universal vaccine rollout plans, Matthew Yarnell, president of SEIU Healthcare PA, said in a statement.

Yarnell called for vaccination efforts to have equitable outreach and education but said a lack of paid time off for vaccination or vaccine side effects, added transportation costs and other factors have made it difficult for workers to get shots.

“SEIU recommends that all essential workers and working people take the vaccine, and that education, easy access and transparency be prioritized in vaccine distribution, and we will continue our work with federal and state leaders, health care providers and community organizations to help educate our communities to ensure everyone knows the facts about the vaccine, its benefits and its necessity,” Yarnell said.

Hayden’s Pharmacy in Youngwood operates vaccine clinics for Manor staff and residents every three weeks, said Administrator Abby Testa.

“In the event that a staff member would experience side effects from the vaccine, he or she would follow the same call off procedure as any other county employee,” Testa said.