Media Statement

PITTSBURGH (June 9, 2020) — Highmark Health has formulated its initial back to workplace plans and has communicated them with all employees. Our goals remain the same as they have throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic: to protect the health and safety of our workforce and ensure uninterrupted service to our customers.

In mid-March, we sent 10,000 non-clinical employees, from across our campuses, home to work to protect their health and safety. Currently about 475 employees are coming into the workplace, with the balance working at home. Our front-line clinicians and support staff at Allegheny Health Network have continued to work tirelessly on site at our hospitals and at mobile sites to deliver safe, high quality patient care and to serve the community.

As of July 6, we will begin a phased approach to back to the workplace, based on safety and business needs, and our own red-yellow-green levels. This methodical framework will enable a gradual transition for limited numbers of employees who are working from home to return to work in our offices across our campuses. Beginning July 6, approximately 1,200 employees will return to their workplaces a few days a week, as needed, across campuses in western PA and West Virginia, placing about 1,700 employees in the workplace. The majority of our non-clinical employees will continue to work from home until at least through Labor Day, and have been assured 30-day notice before their return to the workplace. Employees in locations including central PA and Delaware will continue working from home until further notice, as we continue to monitor those areas and make decisions on a rolling basis.

Within the workplace, we have instituted a number of new safety protocols to keep employees safe and to ensure social distancing. Employees will receive trainings, will complete an attestation prior to entering workplaces, and will be required to wear masks and follow other protocols related to the buildings and individual work areas. Deep cleaning procedures have been put into place. And an electronic reservation system is underway that will ensure that employees are able to maintain social distancing in their work spaces.

Highmark Health's back to workplace plans take into consideration and adhere to — but exceed — those guidelines provided by the CDC, and state and local governments.

In addition, our approach is fluid and subject to change, based on evolving changes in the course of the pandemic.