Latest News

Penn State Health presents second-phase land development plan to Hampden Township
The Hampden Township Planning Commission has recommended approval of a land development plan for the second phase of development of Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center.
Read MoreMove aside Grinch, COVID-19, etc… holiday cheer is here!
In the halls and across Zoom calls, Penn State Health staff are finding creative ways to spread encouragement to each other and to patients while being sensitive to those whose holiday isn’t what they had imagined at all.
Read MorePenn State Health employees line up for COVID vaccine
All three Penn State Health hospitals are now well underway administering the COVID-19 vaccines to employees.
Read MorePenn State Health St. Joseph relocates and expands drive-thru COVID-19 testing
Penn State Health St. Joseph will move its drive-thru COVID-19 testing site from the parking lot of its Bern Township campus at 2500 Bernville Road, to 2493 MacArthur Road.
Read MoreRite Aid gives $723,000 to Children’s Hospital, celebrating $100 million milestone
Rite Aid Corp., based in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, is donating $723,000 to Children’s Miracle Network at Penn State Children’s Hospital. This total includes gifts over the past year from Rite Aid customers during an in-store campaign, support from Rite Aid vendors and associates, and The Rite Aid Foundation and its Kids Cents program.
Read MoreLatest Research

Cheng elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
Dr. Keith Cheng, distinguished professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and researcher at Penn State Cancer Institute, has been named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Read MoreSixth annual addiction symposium highlights dual pandemics in Pa
The sixth annual Penn State Addiction Symposium will highlight substance use research, treatment, education and community engagement from all Penn State campuses.
Read MoreResearchers study patterns of opioid use in metastatic breast cancer patients
Some metastatic breast cancer patients are taking smaller doses of opioid prescriptions over decreased amounts of time, according to Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Cancer Institute researchers. They say the results indicate that clinicians may be more aware of the negative impacts of prolonged opioid use and are seeking alternative pain management options.
Read MoreLight smokers may not escape nicotine addiction, study reveals
Even people who consider themselves to be casual cigarette smokers may be addicted, according to current diagnostic criteria.
Read MoreSurgery may offer survival advantage in treatment-responsive metastatic breast cancer
Surgery, in addition to treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy, may increase the length of survival for metastatic breast cancer patients.
Read MoreLatest Medical Minutes

The Medical Minute: How the body responds to the COVID-19 vaccine
Is the COVID-19 vaccine safe for people with food allergies? Two infectious disease experts offer answers and explain how the body accepts the vaccine in this week’s Penn State Health Medical Minute.
Read MoreThe Medical Minute: Debunking vaccine myths
Vaccines are in the news again – along with misinformation about their safety. We replace the common myths with truths about the safety and benefits of vaccination in this week’s Medical Minute.
Read MoreThe Medical Minute: What you need to know about the COVID-19 vaccine
As the U.S. authorizes distribution of the COVID vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, here’s what you need to know about the vaccines — how they work, the doses required, their effectiveness and more.
Read MoreThe Medical Minute: Helping young athletes return to play safely after COVID-19
Young athletes in central Pennsylvania can’t wait to start basketball and wrestling season. But with the COVID-19 pandemic raging, parents wonder how their children can stay safe. And, if their child gets COVID-19, parents wonder when it’s safe for that child to get back to competitive sports.
Read MoreThe Medical Minute: What research tells us about COVID-19, heart inflammation
Do people with COVID-19 run a risk of developing myocarditis? Cardiologist Dr. John Boehmer examines the latest research in this week’s Medical Minute.
Read MoreLatest Education

Surgery resident Greene honored for exceptional teaching
Dr. Alicia Greene, a surgery resident at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, was honored in January 2021 as part of the Exceptional Moments in Teaching program of Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine.
Read MoreAccelerating innovation: Course boosts biomedical ideas, College of Medicine’s mentor role
Penn State College of Medicine is included in a $3.1 million, three-year grant to take on a role as a national mentor for the I-Corps@ National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences program.
Read MoreCollege of Medicine students receive college credits, lifetime experience during pandemic
Penn State College of Medicine students received the education of a lifetime as they provided meaningful support during pandemic.
Read MoreClassroom flip: Penn State College of Medicine students become teachers of elementary students
Students in an elementary school classroom have been learning about healthy eating, managing emotions positively, good exercise and COVID-19 prevention from first-year College of Medicine students who volunteered their time to teach during the past couple of months.
Read MoreDermatology resident Bazewicz honored for exceptional teaching
Dr. Christopher Bazewicz, a dermatology resident at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, was honored in December 2020 as part of the Exceptional Moments in Teaching program of Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine.
Read MoreLatest Patient Care

All three Penn State Health hospitals earn ‘A’ grades for patient safety
The Leapfrog Group has recognized all three Penn State Health hospitals with ‘A’ grades on its semi-annual safety ranking report card.
Read MorePenn State Health welcomes New Year's babies
As we flip our calendars to a new year, here’s a look at the first babies to be born at Hershey Medical Center, St. Joseph Medical Center and Holy Spirit Medical Center in 2021.
Read MorePenn State Health clarifies status of surgeries at its hospitals
Penn State Health is reiterating that surgeries – from high-priority to elective procedures – are being actively scheduled at all of its hospitals. Surgeries are not being canceled and patients are not being turned away.
Read MoreFormer Spirit Urgent Care in Camp Hill redirects patients with non-respiratory issues to primary care office Dec. 14
To manage an influx of people with COVID-19, the former Spirit Urgent Care in Camp Hill will redirect patients with non-respiratory issues starting Monday, Dec. 14, to the nearby primary care office in the Medical Arts Building.
Read More‘Of course, they’re good!’ Santa pays a visit to Penn State Children’s Hospital
Ho, ho, ho! Santa made his annual North Pole-Hershey connection on Friday when he visited virtually with children at Penn State Children’s Hospital during the annual Santa Connect, made possible by the Child Life team and Penn State Health’s Information Services team.
Read MoreLatest Ask Us Anything About

Ask Us Anything About...NICU Care
When having a baby, parents don’t like to imagine their child needing to stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Dr. Jeff Kaiser, chief of neonatal-perinatal medicine at Penn State Children’s Hospital, helps new parents understand what they need to consider when choosing a hospital and what to expect if your child needs to go to the NICU.
Read MoreAsk Us Anything About...Epilepsy
According to the Epilepsy Foundation, one in 10 people will experience a seizure throughout their life, and of that group, one in 26 will develop epilepsy. Dr. Michael Sather addresses questions about the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy.
Read MoreAsk Us Anything About… Incontinence
Urinary incontinence is a common, but nonetheless frustrating and embarrassing problem. The good news is that, for most people, lifestyle changes or medical treatment can help to alleviate the problem.
Read MoreAsk Us Anything About...COVID 19 Fatigue
When the pandemic began and lockdowns were ordered, many people were all onboard to do their part and help reduce the spread of COVID-19. But after a prolonged period of being vigilant, isolation and anxiety have drained people of their motivation, causing many to become less strict about Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. We learn more about so-called COVID-19 fatigue from Dr. Julie Graziane and Dr. Jonathan Nunez, both of Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
Read MoreAsk Us Anything About… COVID-19 Testing
Despite the fact that we’re many months into the COVID-19 pandemic, questions are still swirling about the various types of testing for the novel coronavirus. With incidence of COVID-19 trending upward in the U.S., the topic is as timely as ever. In this interview, we learn about the various types of tests, who should be tested and much more.
Read MoreLatest Community

Penn State PRO Wellness partners with Kohl’s Cares to enhance school wellness program
Kohl’s Cares has awarded $100,000 to Penn State PRO Wellness to support Healthy Champion school wellness initiatives through the Circle of Wellness program.
Read MoreDecember is a time to celebrate holidays, diversity
The Penn State Health Capital Region (Dauphin) Interfaith Employee Affinity/Resource Group is hosting a virtual interfaith holiday celebration on Thursday, Dec. 10, from noon to 1 p.m.
Read MoreSign up for Carlisle Family YMCA Virtual Turkey Trot
Stay fit and have fun. Register for the Carlisle Family YMCA Virtual Turkey Trot, set for Nov. 22 to 30. Penn State Health is a presenting sponsor.
Read MoreBases loaded with thanks
To reinforce a team message that every player matters, members of the Tripletown Aces youth baseball program and their families made thank you notes for the Environmental Health Services team.
Read MoreTree-planting ceremony adds 100 saplings to Hershey Medical Center campus
Volunteers from Hershey Medical Center and the College of Medicine planted 100 native saplings on the Hershey campus on Oct. 15.
Read MoreLatest People

Penn State Health St. Joseph names chief operating officer
James Bennett has joined Penn State Health St. Joseph as vice president and chief operating officer.
Read MoreNeidert named Penn State Health corporate director of security
Christopher Neidert has been named Penn State Health’s new corporate director of security, , effective Jan. 17.
Read MoreStoessel charged with leading transformation efforts for Penn State Health
Tom Stoessel, Penn State Health’s executive vice president and chief strategy officer, adds chief transformation officer to his titles.
Read MoreAdams recognized for Exceptional Moments in Teaching
Dr. Nancy Adams is featured for January 2021 in the “Exceptional Moments in Teaching” program.
Read MoreA change of holiday heart: College of Medicine staffer gets unexpected surprise
By his own admission, Dwayne Morris was limping halfheartedly into this year’s holiday season. Then came a mad dash to a chain store to get a white Christmas tree and an expected surprise. Read on for one touching holiday tale.
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