Sean Kertes and Doug Chew: Why Excela received $5 million grant

We write in response to the Dec. 4 letter “$5 million grant to Excela wrong.” Transparency in government is important, so we’d like to set the record straight.

The basis for a grant to Excela was set as far back as July 6, when Excela’s leadership team met with the three Westmoreland County commissioners, presented their application in person, and submitted responses to questions on their long-term goals and intentions. They also provided a paper application like every other nonprofit, and that application was put aside until we decided the total value of their grant. A follow-up conference call occurred in September for additional questions and answers. This was more involvement than any other recipient, and it was a surprise to no one.

It should be understood that Excela has the same reporting requirements on this grant as every recipient in the county, and its expenditures must be approved as well.

It is also important to emphasize the areas where it has spent the funding. These include:

• Paying staff pandemic incentives

• Purchasing PPE, which Excela has shared with with numerous skilled nursing facilities and personal care homes in crisis in the county

• Installing negative air machines, which prevent air from a covid unit from mixing with the rest of the hospital

• Purchasing additional testing platforms and equipment to process more PCR samples to test for SARS-CoV-2

• Establishing a covid-19 testing and evaluation center on Frye Farm Road in Unity

Excela Health System has always been an important community partner, but during the covid-19 pandemic, it has participated in every public safety call and answered questions 24/7. It is our local clinical team supporting the Covid Regional Response Healthcare Collaboration Program, and its staff members are in 60 facilities addressing the pandemic, including the county’s Westmoreland Manor.

Its testing facility has tested over 17,000 individuals, and it has brought these testing capabilities to facilities with patients unable to travel to Excela, also including Westmoreland Manor. Excela has collaborated with numerous local colleges and school districts to inform their school and athletic safety plans, and worked with human services organizations to assist with their service strategies. The input has been invaluable.

Excela leadership took a 15% salary cut for 2020, and they are prudently borrowing an additional $40 million to expand health services in our community. When they learned our neighbors were hungry, their staff dug deeply into their own pockets and sent $80,000 to the Westmoreland County Food Bank.

Not only is Excela the largest employer in the county, but its employees all make a living wage, which provides discretionary income for the local economy. The Hospital Association of Pennsylvania Economic Benefit Calculation for Excela Health System shows a benefit to the county of $1.2 billion. If Excela fails, a lot of small businesses will fail as a result.

Excela came to the table like the other 500-plus small businesses, nonprofits, municipalities and volunteer fire departments. Its covid losses were in excess of $40 million; we responded with $5 million.

About 11 years ago, a letter to the editor in a local paper lamented another local health system’s closure of Braddock Hospital. That same system received $1.1 billion in CARES Act funds, yet finished fiscal 2019 with a net fund balance of nearly $410 million.

We wonder what letter-writers would say if we had not helped Excela, and it closed significant portions of the health care system during a pandemic?

Sean Kertes is chairman of the Westmoreland County Board of Commissioners. Doug Chew is a commissioner.