Penn State Health leaders focus on patient experience, Epic readiness, safety advancements and expanded access at February town hall

Penn State Health leaders highlighted systemwide progress during the Feb. 24 quarterly town hall, celebrating clinical excellence and reinforcing a shared commitment to patient experience and patient access. The session also provided updates on the Epic launch timeline, outlined safety and employee development initiatives and presented strong mid-year financial indicators.

THON breaks record

Dr. Michael Kupferman, Penn State Health chief executive officer, opened the town hall by celebrating the impact of THON, which raised more than $18.8 million this year to support pediatric cancer care at Penn State Health Golisano Children’s Hospital. The event, he said, “was a powerful reflection of who we are,” and demonstrated how deeply THON’s mission influences research, clinical treatment innovation and family support.

Epic implementation on track for Oct. 31 go-live

Dr. Jim Leaming, chief medical officer for Hampden Medical Center and a member of the Epic Executive Steering Committee, provided a detailed update on the implementation of Epic, the new electronic health record and revenue cycle management system. The project is now in its second phase, focused on organizational readiness and skill development.

Super Users – frontline staff, physicians and providers who will receive early, role-based Epic training – will play a key role in supporting their teams before, during and after go-live.

Key upcoming Epic milestones:

• March–April 30: Super User identification
• June 8–Aug. 28: Super User onboarding and training
• 31–late October: End-user training
• 31: Epic go-live

Time-off restrictions:

• Gray-out: Sept. 1–Oct. 15 and Nov. 16–30
• Black-out: Oct. 16–Nov. 15

“The support systems (provided by the external Epic team) are resource‑intensive and temporary,” Leaming said. “We must take full advantage of them now to become self-sufficient after go-live.”

A lunch-and-learn for managers whose teams will need Super Users will be hosted on Tuesday, March 3.

Safety and employee engagement initiatives

Systemwide safety enhancements continue to progress. David Swift, senior vice president and chief human resources officer, announced that Canopy Protect – the wireless duress button system – is now live at both Holy Spirit and St. Joseph medical centers. Milton S. Hershey Medical Center remains on track for a Sunday, March 15 rollout.

In addition, Penn State Health will begin piloting passive weapons detection systems beginning Sunday, March 1 at Lancaster Medical Center, with a second pilot at Golisano Children’s Hospital launching at the end of March.

Employees were also reminded of key deadlines:

• Annual Essential Learning: Due Monday, May 11
• Annual goals: Must be entered by March 1

Additionally, the recently completed Ways of Working survey saw 50% participation from employees systemwide. Swift added that results will be reviewed soon and made available to department heads.

Office of Health Advancement and Community Engagement

Dr. Inginia Genao, vice president and vice dean for the newly structured Office of Health Advancement and Community Engagement provided an overview of the office, which supports belonging, workforce development, community health and health equity.

“Every one of us is here to advance health,” Genao said. “And that requires engagement from both the internal and external communities.”

Clinical excellence and national recognition

Kupferman celebrated several major accomplishments:

• Heart Transplant Program: 100% three-year survival rate
• Bone Marrow Transplant Program: Ranked top eight nationally
• Level II NICU: Opening at Lancaster Medical Center in fall 2026

Kupferman also introduced the new Elevating Excellence Awards, recognizing units with significant patient experience improvements. The Hampden Medical Center inpatient unit, St. Joseph Medical Center emergency department and Penn State Health Medical Group – Marysville earned recognition this quarter.

Improving access across the region

Kyle Snyder, president and chief operating officer, emphasized recent access improvements, including extended MRI hours at Lime Spring Outpatient Center, same-day mammograms at Penn State Health Breast Center on Hope Drive and expanded specialty coverage in vascular surgery and neurosurgery.

“These are tremendous examples of teams buckling up and solving problems for our patients,” Snyder said.

Financial performance

Tracy Moyer, executive vice president and chief financial officer, reported a 1.9% year‑to‑date operating margin, exceeding the 1.4% budget target.

Moyer noted that despite seasonal pressures and rising operational costs across the industry, Penn State Health continues to strengthen its financial footing. The system’s improving case mix index, strong emergency department volumes and disciplined cost‑management efforts position it well to navigate ongoing economic challenges while continuing to invest in patient access, technology and workforce support.

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