'Transparency Equals Trust': Butler Co. Company Creates Webpage To Track Long-Term Care Facility Residents' Coronavirus Tests
SARVER, Pa. (KDKA) - Families across the area tell KDKA they're struggling to receive accurate and timely information from nursing homes and long-term care facilities during the coronavirus pandemic. One Butler County company is taking a different approach to the issue.
KDKA's Meghan Schiller talked to Quality Life Services and learned why it's plastering the daily testing numbers on its website's homepage.
"We have approximately 1,300 beds," said Paul McGuire, Chief Operating Officer at Quality Life Services.
McGuire said his daily mission is keeping COVID-19 out of his facilities. His company runs 10 skilled nursing centers and seven personal care centers scattered across Butler County. He's proud to report zero resident cases and zero deaths.
"I called it the 3 'Ls': it was the leadership of the centers, the location of the centers and some luck," said McGuire.
Two employees with the company tested positive, and Mary Susan Yurek said they immediately notified the residents and their families.
"Our motto is 'transparency equals trust' so for families to have that trust in us they need to see that we're being open and transparent," said Yurek, Chief Quality Officer at Quality Life Services.
That's why the company created the "COVID-19 Test Tracking Tool" and put it front and center on the homepage.
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"We can tell you at any point in time how many people are getting tested, what results we're waiting for and what results came back and we update that daily on our website," said McGuire.
There's comprehensive list of the testing numbers, broken down by facility, and updated daily at lunch time.
"The response has been very positive that people are appreciative," said Yurek. "I think some people are actually a little surprised that we put that out there even before it's been mandated that we share that information."
The company's owners tell KDKA's Meghan Schiller that accurate and timely information can calm fears -- not just for the residents, but for the families that haven't shared a meal or spent face-to-face quality time with their loved ones since March 12.
