Geisinger institutes mandatory masking at all locations
These changes, announced by Geisinger Friday afternoon, reflect the serious nature of the evolving novel coronavirus pandemic. Earlier in the day, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf made a statewide announcement instructing all Pennsylvanians to wear a mask if they must leave their homes.
“As the coronavirus situation evolves, we continuously reassess our policies and procedures to protect our Geisinger family, patients and communities,” said J. Edward Hartle, M.D., Geisinger Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. “Due to the increased community spread of the coronavirus across our region, we are starting mandatory masking for everyone entering any Geisinger facility, whether it is clinical or non-clinical.”
Geisinger will provide the appropriate level of mask to all employees, patients and visitors. At minimum, each employee will receive one Level 1 mask weekly. A Level 1 mask is most commonly seen at a doctor’s office. The usually paper-type masks help stop low levels of fluid droplets, like from a cough or sneeze, from spraying forward. A common way COVID-19 is transmitted is through droplets in the air immediately around an individual.
For additional information about COVID-19, visit Geisinger’s Coronavirus Resource Center at geisinger.org/coronavirus.
About Geisinger
Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the non-profit system generates $10 billion in annual revenues across 134 care sites - including 10 hospital campuses, and Geisinger Health Plan, with 600,000 members in commercial and government plans. The Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and conducts more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With 26,000 employees, including 1,600 employed physicians, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers with an estimated economic impact of $14 billion to the state’s economy. On March 31, 2024, Geisinger became the first member of Risant Health, a new nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country. Learn more at geisinger.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.
