Donors honored for gifts to enhance Heart Center at Holy Spirit Medical Center
Longtime Penn State Health supporters Rocco Ortenzio, who passed away in 2024, and his wife, Nancy Ortenzio, have again played a significant role in advancing cardiovascular care at Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center in Camp Hill, Pa. Through recent support from the Ortenzio family that builds upon their past commitments, patients now have greater access to advanced, lifesaving heart and vascular care following a major renovation of the Ortenzio Heart Center.
A May 6 ribbon cutting and blessing celebrated the completion of the newly enhanced heart center, which features advanced imaging technology and a state-of-the-art operating environment designed to support complex cardiovascular procedures. These improvements are helping care teams deliver safer, less invasive interventions, shorter procedure times and smoother recoveries—directly improving patient outcomes and the patient experience.
The renovation builds on a longstanding legacy of philanthropy from the Ortenzio family. In 2003, the Ortenzio Heart Center opened and was named in recognition of their leadership and support. The latest upgrades were made possible in part by an additional leadership gift from the family, reaffirming their commitment to ensuring patients receive the highest quality heart care close to home.
“We are profoundly grateful to Rocco and Nancy Ortenzio for their extraordinary generosity and vision,” said Penn State Health CEO Dr. Michael Kupferman. “Their leadership and commitment have helped shape the Ortenzio Heart Center into a destination for advanced cardiovascular care, providing patients on the West Shore and beyond with access to innovative technology and exceptional care.”
Thanks to the Ortenzio family’s continued generosity, the Ortenzio Heart Center has become a more integrated, patient‑focused environment for cardiovascular care, said Dr. Behzad Soleimani, co‑director of Penn State Heart and Vascular Institute, vice president of Heart and Vascular Services and the John Anton and Marian Trescher Waldhausen Chair in Surgery. “These enhancements improve precision and efficiency during procedures, supporting less invasive approaches, shorter operating times and smoother recoveries, while also strengthening communication and collaboration among our care teams.”
Rocco A. Ortenzio served as vice chairman of Select Medical, which he co‑founded in 1996 with his son, Robert Ortenzio, now the company’s executive chairman. Since its founding, Select Medical has grown into a national provider of specialized care, including long‑term acute care hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals and outpatient physical therapy clinics. Ortenzio also founded three additional health care companies based in central Pennsylvania—Continental Medical Systems, Rehab Hospital Services Corporation and Rehab Corporation.
Beyond Holy Spirit Medical Center, the Ortenzio family’s philanthropy has strengthened care, education and research across Penn State Health. In 2011, they established the Rocco Ortenzio Chair of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Penn State College of Medicine and provided major support for the building campaign for the recently renamed Golisano Children’s Hospital at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
“My parents believed deeply in putting their faith into action through service,” said Robert Ortenzio, son of Rocco and Nancy Ortenzio. “Their support of Holy Spirit Medical Center reflects a lifelong commitment to health care, compassion and ensuring that people in this community have access to exceptional heart care delivered with dignity and respect.”
The renovation of the Ortenzio Heart Center at Holy Spirit Medical Center was also generously supported by Hersha and Hasu Shah and Gary and Sylvie St. Hilaire.
Donors to Penn State Health advance the University’s historic land-grant mission to serve and lead. Through philanthropy, alumni and friends are helping students to join the Penn State family and prepare for lifelong success; driving research, outreach and economic development that grow our shared strength and readiness for the future; and increasing the University’s impact for families, patients and communities across the Commonwealth and around the world. Learn more by visiting raise.psu.edu.
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