12/11/2020
From Ann Spottswood, Director of Community Services, Wellspan Health. This is about Covid-19 right now in Franklin County.
Dear Community Leaders, Colleagues, Neighbors, and Friends,
I hope you and your families are safe and well. However, for those of us dealing with worry and loss, I share
my thoughts and prayers during these extraordinarily difficult times.
I have a goal of reaching 1,000 individuals in the next five days with the information that follows.
It may help some people better understand this urgency by knowing that the number of COVID-19 patients
in our Franklin County Hospitals was 106 yesterday (12/5/20). An additional 242 and 189 positive tests
were reported over the past two days in Franklin County alone.
Trending projections are for a continued increase throughout December—check our WellSpan website for daily
updates on this data.
On a personal note, it has taken me a while to recover—at least somewhat—from the information shared on
our hospital leadership call this morning regarding family members’ sobbing with sorrow and grief. We cry too.
Here is what I need you to do:
• Review and share the information that follows, help people understand what it means
• Forward this message to everyone in your networks and ask them to forward to everyone
as well
• This is a measured initiative, please respond to me with the number of shares, and the
number of individuals that you are sending this to
• Support people in doing everything they can to mitigate the spread of this virus
• Make suggestions of additional methods that I can pursue to Slow the Spread of COVID-19
Current national modeling of the trajectory of the coronavirus indicates that December 2020 will see the most
new coronavirus infections in Pennsylvania with number of cases and hospitalizations peaking mid to late
December and a subsequent peak in January. The CDC https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-
ncov/downloads/cases-updates/Consolidated-Cases-Forecasts-2020-11-23.pdf and Pennsylvania models are
consistent.
How severe these peaks become depends upon the community’s ability to slow the spread by doing
the following:
wear a mask • social distance • wash your hands
If you have not already seen this campaign Every Mask Up or this powerful video, please take a look and
consider sharing with your networks. All the materials are being translated to Spanish for this national
campaign and will be shared soon. Below are additional resources and information to consider sharing with your networks.
Slow the Spread Grants: WellSpan Health has provided more than $272,000 in COVID-19 emergency
community partnership grants to help support community partners during this time of need. Due to the
resurgence of COVID-19, new grant opportunities are available. Organizations that qualify as not-for-profit, tax-
exempt and that serve the communities in WellSpan Health’s service area may apply for this special
Community Partnership Grant program. (Grants to individuals, for-profit entities and organizations outside of
the service area will not be considered.) Learn more about the Slow the Spread Grant Program
1. Resource Guides and PSAs
Adams ENGLISH | ESPAÑOL
Franklin ENGLISH | ESPAÑOL
York ENGLISH | ESPAÑOL
Lancaster ENGLISH | ESPAÑOL
Lebanon ENGLISH | ESPAÑOL
Behavioral Health Resources
Talking to Children about Coronavirus
Parents, caregivers, and other trusted adults play an important role in helping children make sense of
what they hear in a way that is honest, accurate, and minimizes anxiety or fear.
• Talking to Children (English | Español)
• Fact Sheet: Talking with Children: Tips for Caregivers, Parents, and Teachers
• American Sign Language Video: COVID-19 Answering Children's Questions
Helping Older Adults Stay Healthy at Home
Many older adults are feeling isolated in their homes, which can affect their health and well-being. Stay
connected from your home by video chatting and calling friends and family.
• Stay Connected to Combat Loneliness and Social Isolation
• Older Adults and Depression (English | Español)
Coping with Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Social distancing, quarantine, and isolation can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults
and children. Finding ways to cope with stress in a healthy way will make you, the people you care
about, and your community stronger.
• Stress and Coping (English | Español)
• Feeling Stressed? (English | Español)
• 5 Things You Should Know About Stress (English | Español)
4. The WellSpan website is being revamped and some links, coronavirus information and Spanish
translation is still being completed and it should be complete next week.
I look forward to the time when we can pause and reflect on Grace, Gratitude and Warm Socks—there is a
link to this article on the WellSpan website too.
With gratitude,
Ann Spottswood
Director of Community Services
Wellspan Health
785 5th Ave., Suite 1
Chambersburg, PA 17201
aspottswood2@wellspan.org
