Vaccine distributors across the state will need to direct 10% of each shipment to non-hospital affiliated health care personnel, according to a new order signed by Pennsylvania Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine on Wednesday.

Pennsylvania’s rollout of vaccines left smaller private physician practices with little to no information about when or if their staff can expect to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, a group of nine Pennsylvania physician associations wrote in an open letter to Gov. Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine.

Since Highmark Inc. began offering its value-based reimbursement program for primary care physicians in 2017, the Pittsburgh-based insurer says it helped its members avoid more than $1 billion in emergency department visits and hospital admissions.

Jan Bergen, president and CEO of Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, announced today that she will retire from the Lancaster-based health system in January.

Capital BlueCross will be offering advanced payments to independent health care providers in their network who have seen at least a 40% loss in payments from a loss in patients due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

An executive order signed by Gov. Tom Wolf offers health care providers immunity against medical malpractice suits related to treatment of COVID-19. The immunity is granted to any individual licensed, registered or certified to practice health care in the state.

An organization representing more than 150 independent physicians agreed to a contract with Pittsburgh-based Gateway Health Plan to provide incentives based on quality of service to over 50 private practices.

Pennsylvania hospitals can now apply for loans through a $450 million aid package from the state to help facilities stay above water during the COVID-19 pandemic.