While most of people are hunkered down at home, warm, cozy and safe as snowstorm Jonas rages, health care workers don't have that luxury.

Lisa Johnson of Blue Mountain Health System, which operates Gnaden Huetten and Palmerton hospitals, said the provider has been preparing for such a storm.“In the early morning we had some staff having difficulty making it in.We had contingency plans in place with extra staffing with those who live closer to the hospitals to ensure we have enough staff to cover all patients and service areas,” she said.“There were very few call-outs. Only three, I believe between the two hospitals.”Johnson said the hospitals asked staff early Saturday if they could come in and sleep at the hospitals for the night shifts.“Otherwise we may rely on resources to help pick up staff to get them in,” she said.Some staff chose to stay overnight in order to be sure they were there for their shifts, Johnson said.“We offer sleeping arrangements for staff who want to stay overnight or for those finishing their shift and can't get home,” she said. “We are offering breakfast, lunch and dinner for our staff during the weather.”That kind of dedication is common for health care workers.“Health care workers in general, know patients rely on them for care, and we have dedicated staff who do what they need to do to be there for them,” Johnson said. “And that's not just the caregivers, but all staff from nursing to ancillary services to maintenance.”At St. Luke’s Hospital-Miners Campus in Coaldale, marketing director Karen Boksan said that “because of the weather, the hospital has provided rooms to staff who want to come in early or stay after their shifts and is also making food available to employees who are working during the inclement weather.“There have also been some carpooling arrangements that have taken place that have helped staff get in for their shifts,” she said. Neither St. Luke’s nor Blue Mountain Health System emergency departments had seen any weather-related injuries or illnesses.