Registered nurses at ProMedica Defiance Regional Hospital, represented by the Ohio Nurses Association (ONA) and AFT, have successfully negotiated a new contract agreement.

Vaccine distribution Phase 1A continued in Allen County on Saturday. Allen County Public Health provided the vaccine to healthcare workers who are in a non-hospital affiliated setting.

The Allen County Educational Service Center was able to pull some strings and send Santa Claus to St. Rita’s to deliver a mound of thank you cards written by students. They wanted to reach out to workers that have been battling on the frontlines of the pandemic. There were letters from students in each public school in the County, and they were filled with encouraging words for the workers who have been making sacrifices and will have to continue to do so through the holidays.

Over 1000 veterans in the area received a free face mask this week to keep themselves protected. Healthcare workers from the Lima Veterans Affairs clinic were outside Mercy Health-St. Rita's Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, handing out free face masks to patients of their facility. An information sheet was also attached on what veterans should do if they need help during this time. The masks were made by volunteers at the Dayton VA. They then brought them to Lima to be distributed to area veterans.

Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown is currently working on a plan to help healthcare workers with the shortage of personal protective equipment. Brown recently sent a letter to President Donald Trump with nine steps the administration could take to address this issue. One step is to designate a government official to oversee the development of PPE, medical devices and other necessary supplies. Another was to create a list of PPE and other supplies needed for the coronavirus pandemic. He also suggested creating procedures to ensure materials are not delayed because of paperwork issues.