Interim CEO Deborah Addo, Penn State Health leadership focus on safety and well-being of employees at Feb. 25 town hall
Penn State Health leaders addressed the tragic events that unfolded at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York during the Feb. 25 town hall and shared tools employees can use to prioritize safety and mental health. Leaders also discussed the timeline for the system’s transition to Epic’s electronic medical records system, new partnerships with regional practices, a creative brand campaign now underway and a positive financial report.
Supporting UPMC Memorial Hospital
The first 10 minutes of the town hall and the majority of questions answered during the forum and Q&A were devoted to the Feb. 22 incident in York. Penn State Health interim CEO Deborah Addo said she had reached out to UPMC Memorial Hospital president Michelle Del Pizzo, who previously served as vice president of operations for Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, to ensure their team knew the Penn State Health family stood with them and were ready to provide any assistance needed.
“We understand the feelings. Our hearts go out to the lives lost, those injured and the teams that were just there trying to do the good work that you all do every single day,” Addo said.
David Simmons, director of pastoral care services for Hershey Medical Center, provided information about the Stress First Aid tool available to employees and students. SFA is a model of self-care and peer support that identifies and addresses early signs of stress in individuals, co-workers and teams so they can be quickly directed to the best available resources for support.
Chief Human Resources Officer David Swift reminded employees to continue to lean on each other for support or use the Employee Assistance Program at 1-888-881-5462 to talk with a Care Advocate. The program is free to employees and their household members and is available 24/7 (code: PSH).
‘Our Epic Transformation’ underway
Penn State Health will transition from the Cerner system to industry-leader Epic in fall 2026, said Maryandra Walters, vice president and chief application officer. Currently, the Epic transformation team is working with Penn State Health to build work groups to lead its implementation, which will formally kick off June 2. It will take approximately 16 months to establish Epic as Penn State Health’s electronic medical records system, with a target go-live date planned for Oct. 31, 2026.
New partnerships
Penn State Health recently announced new professional services agreements with a trio of high-quality regional physician practices.
- On Jan. 31, Penn State Health entered into an affiliation agreement with Lancaster Orthopedic Group (LOG). This partnership with the Lancaster region’s market leader in orthopedics will see the health system collaborate with 18 LOG physicians.
- On March 1, Partners in Women’s Health (PIWH) and its physicians and certified nurse-midwives will move more than 725 deliveries annually to Hampden Medical Center. To accommodate the growth in patient-focused community care, Hampden Medical Center is exploring expanding its NICU size. Meanwhile, a Level II NICU is in the approval stages for Lancaster Medical Center, pediatrics chair Dr. Yatin Vyas confirmed in the town hall.
- In June, Penn State Health’s West Shore hospitals will begin seeing patients from Harrisburg Gastroenterology, which has been serving patients in central Pennsylvania for over 40 years.
“We have had impressive and considerable growth at Penn State Health over the last 10 years,” said Chief Strategy Officer Tom Stoessel. “Creating relationships with existing high-quality partners can be a very efficient way for us to continue to grow forward.”
“Your story. Our purpose.” brand campaign
The Marketing and Communications team unveiled the first images from its new brand campaign, “Your story. Our purpose.” It will showcase the stories of employees and patients who define Penn State Health and the College of Medicine by transforming them into works of art.
“As we launch this campaign internally, we want to spend some time celebrating who makes us unique,” said Stacy Beers, vice president of marketing and communications.
The external launch of the campaign is planned for April. Employees are encouraged to share stories about the people of Penn State Health and the College of Medicine who go above and beyond by visiting the “Your story. Our purpose.” SharePoint site.
Strong financial performance
Penn State Health has achieved strong financial results for the first half of fiscal year 2025, reporting operating income of $50.7 million and an operating margin of 2.3%, said Tracy Moyer, senior vice president of financial operations. These results surpassed the health system’s financial plan and highlight its commitment to financial strength and operational efficiency. See a more in-depth report of the financial outlook here.
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