Western Pennsylvania Healthcare News

Covering healthcare news in the Pittsburgh region and beyond.

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Highmark, West Penn Allegheny Health System Announce Facility Upgrades Planned for Forbes Regional Hospital

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Officials from Highmark Inc., and the West Penn Allegheny Health System (WPAHS) today outlined the first phase of plans to significantly enhance the scope and sophistication of patient care services offered at Forbes Regional Hospital.

Through an initial investment of $20 million in the Forbes facility, the goal is to begin a process of modernizing and reconstructing the hospital and its campus to better meet the healthcare needs of the community and greatly improve the patient and visitor experience.

“West Penn Allegheny and its affiliated hospitals are vital community resources that play a critical role in the health and economic vitality of this region,” said Kenneth R. Melani, M.D., Highmark president and chief executive officer. “Several weeks ago, we shared great news with the residents and leaders of the Bloomfield community about our planned revitalization of West Penn Hospital. Today, those who live and work in the eastern suburbs, and all who have come to rely on Forbes Regional for its excellent patient care services, have reason to celebrate as well.”

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Highmark, West Penn Allegheny Announce Details of West Penn Hospital Revitalization Plan

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Emergency Department to Reopen in Early 2012
300+ Private Patient Rooms, Renovated Medical/Surgical Units Among Other Facility Upgrades In Works

Moving forward with a pledge to restore and enhance essential healthcare services at The Western Pennsylvania Hospital in Bloomfield, officials of Highmark Inc., and the West Penn Allegheny Health System (WPAHS) today shared details of those plans with hospital employees and community leaders.

Central to the West Penn Hospital revitalization project, which will take place in three phases over the next six months, will be the reopening of the hospital’s emergency department in early 2012.   The department will be completely renovated and technologically advanced, including the addition of a fast track patient triage system.  Plans are also on the table to increase the department’s size from its current bed count of 24 and to incorporate a new observation unit into the program to further expedite and improve patient care.

Complimenting the emergency department opening will be an expansion of the hospital’s overall capacity to 300-350 private patient rooms with monitoring capabilities, extensive renovations to nurse stations in the hospital’s medical, surgical and intensive care units and remodeling of all common areas in the facility, including lobbies and waiting rooms.

According to Highmark President Kenneth Melani, MD, the revitalization of West Penn Hospital is a critical step towards solidifying the future of the West Penn Allegheny Health System and a move that is consistent with Highmark’s mission and history of investments that enhance the health and wellbeing of the western Pennsylvania community.

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Terry Wiltrout Named CEO of Canonsburg General Hospital

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West Penn Allegheny Health System today announced the appointment of Terry Wiltrout as Chief Executive Officer at Canonsburg General Hospital (CGH), effective immediately. Mr. Wiltrout has served as interim CEO at the hospital since June.

Mr. Wiltrout officially joined Canonsburg’s leadership team in 2002 and was named the hospital’s Vice President of Operations in 2007. He began his career with the West Penn Allegheny Health System in 1991 as a computer operator.

Most recently, Mr. Wiltrout was the lead executive overseeing the development of West Penn Allegheny‘s new Outpatient Care Center in Peters Township.

“Terry is a talented healthcare executive who has been instrumental in the success of Canonsburg General and the growth of our southern Allegheny County and Washington County market presence over the past several years. He is a highly visible and well respected leader the community served by Canonsburg General and we are excited to have someone so capable and committed to the vision and mission of this organization leading our efforts on that campus,” said Keith T. Ghezzi, MD, Interim President and Chief Executive Officer of West Penn Allegheny Health System.

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The National Significance of the Highmark and West Penn Allegheny Merger

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James T. Parker

By James T. Parker

A health-care transformation is unfolding in Pittsburgh that has national implications for health care. Recently, Pittsburgh-based Highmark announced its purchase of West Penn Allegheny Health System (WPAHS), a five-hospital, health system that’s the second largest health system in the Pittsburgh area.

With this announcement, the two organizations have begun to create a preview for what the future of health care may look like.  In fact, the merger of these two organizations offers a glimpse into the challenges that await health-care organizations that take bold steps to reposition themselves into the future.

Others are better positioned to ascribe the true catalysts behind this acquisition.  Nonetheless, it’s entirely plausible to suggest that Highmark was driven to this acquisition out of a fear that UPMC was simply becoming too large a force in the Pittsburgh health-care market.  If that’s the case, Highmark’s move can be seen as a defensive counter-response.  Having said that, Highmark and West Penn Allegheny describe another motive for coming together, one that is more far-reaching and significant.  Together, they describe their desire to create an integrated health-care system that marries the financing and delivery of care.

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