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In shipshape: Hampden Medical Center consultant enjoys time off with his son

By Carolyn Kimmel

When Mechanicsburg resident George Yatsky climbs on his pontoon boat at City Island in Harrisburg, there’s no one he’d rather have as first mate than his son, Trent.

“We explore some of the islands, do some fishing and enjoy some incredible sunsets,” said Yatsky, who is the on-site safety consultant from Rettew Associates at Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center. “Being out on the water gives us some one-on-one time and some peace and quiet together.”

Family – and being a great dad – is important to Yatsky, who says his work at Penn State Health’s newest hospital fits right in with his personal priorities.

“We’re bringing a brand-new, state-of-the-art hospital to our community that will not only serve me as I get older, but also my son and generations to come,” Yatsky said. “Penn State Health is providing another resource to an area that’s booming in population and need.”

For more than a year, Yatsky has spent 40 hours a week at Hampden Medical Center, enforcing Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations and acting as a resource on safe work practices.

“To see it go from a steel stick structure to a beautiful building that’s eye-catching from the interstate – what a transformation,” he said.

A Penn State football fan, Yatsky said he also is proud to have been involved in environmental work at every Penn State campus across the state since 1998.

As he heads out on the waters of the Susquehanna River once again, Yatsky smiles at Trent, a 19-year-old rising sophomore at Belmont University in Nashville, and knows another great ride is on the way.

Time is precious, Yatsky said, something he, like many others, has realized anew during the past year. Working through the COVID-19 pandemic to open Hampden Medical Center on schedule – and give local residents the health they need to live the way they want – brings him great satisfaction.

“When I drive past the building, I’ll always have a sense of pride knowing I helped build a hospital that’s making a difference in the health and lives of so many people and that will serve the community for generations,” he said.

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