Smithfield Opens Regional Infirmary

​SCI Smithfield launched another new mission by opening a regional infirmary and began receiving patients on April 7 from SCIs Greene, Waymart, Benner Township and Forest.

One purpose of the new 30-bed regional infirmary is to mitigate infirmary bed space shortages at other facilities so they can care for their COVID-19 inmate patients in-house. This will help lessen the strain on local hospitals who are overwhelmed caring for COVID-19 patients.

Inmates who will be sent to Smithfield's regional infirmary are long-term care inmates that cannot function in general population due to extreme obesity, COPD, ambulation disfunction, illnesses requiring oxygen use, Parkinson's disease, etc. Additional nursing staff and a certified nurse assistant have been hired to work in the regional infirmary. 

Smithfield's existing infirmary will now be used solely for acute care inmates from Smithfield's population or new commitments and parole violators.  It should also be noted that the regional infirmary inmates are and will be offered the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.