Massini: Penn State Health embodies ‘all hands on deck’

Penn State Health CEO Steve Massini emailed employees on Tuesday about the health system’s pandemic response and its efforts to vaccinate employees and learners.

Dear Penn State Health Colleagues,

I am grateful for the extraordinary efforts of our organization in 2020, but truth be told, it felt good to turn the calendar to 2021. I know we’re still in the throes of a pandemic, and last week’s civil unrest at our nation’s capital was deeply disturbing, but still I greet this new year with hope and optimism.

Our hospitals continue to care for a high number of patients with COVID-19, and our health system faces a challenge with a high number of employees unable to work because of infection or quarantine.  I appreciate the willingness of so many of you to step out of your usual roles and shifts to help meet our needs. We’ve truly embodied ‘all hands on deck’ during this pandemic.

As of today, nearly 10,000 Penn State Health and College of Medicine employees and learners have been vaccinated. Beginning later today, staff in our final tier will start to receive invitations to self-schedule your appointment. The email will come from covid19vaccine@pennstatehealth.psu.edu. Please don’t delay, as doses are limited. Receiving the vaccine is voluntary, but we do know this is one way to help minimize the spread of COVID-19 and save lives. I encourage you to visit our resources and learn as much as you can.

We have a lot to look forward to this year. In 2021, we’ll open Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center in late summer. We’ll also open five new outpatient practices; two in Cumberland County and three in Dauphin County. Recruitment and hiring for key positions is well underway. This growth is helping us to fulfill our promise to make Penn State Health’s care more accessible and convenient for patients.

So also will our continued expansion of virtual health.

In 2021, we will roll out Penn State Health Reimagined, a new program that will improve the way we work, find and hire talent, procure supplies, and manage our budgets, projects and assets. Penn State Health Reimagined will get us closer to our vision to create one, unified Penn State Health that uses a common, streamlined set of systems and processes.

And in 2021, we’ll continue our work to create a more inclusive culture across our organization. One of the first endeavors you’ll hear about is a session designed by our Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to teach us about unconscious bias and microaggressions, how they affect diverse populations, and ways to intervene with humility and compassion. This session will be included in Penn State Health’s annual training and all of you will receive an email to participate in late January.

On a personal level, I’m looking forward to getting out and about our health system again in 2021, and being able to meet and talk with more of you. I’ve missed that.

Until then, we’ll continue holding virtual town halls so that we can interact with each other. The next one is at noon tomorrow. Here’s the link to join.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.

Steve Massini
Penn State Health CEO

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