Karen Mansfield
AFFILIATION — UPMC Washington hosted a celebration of its affiliation with UPMC on Wednesday. From left are Dr. John Six, vice president of medical affairs, UPMC Washington; John Surma, chairperson of UPMC board of directors; Dan Miller, chairperson of UPMC Washington board of directors; Leslie C. Davis, president and CEO of UPMC; Brook Ward, president of UPMC Washington; Washington Mayor JoJo Burgess; and Joel Yuhas, president of UPMC Health Services Division.
WASHINGTON, Pa. — What a difference a year makes.
On Wednesday, UPMC Washington hosted a celebration at the hospital to commemorate its new affiliation with UPMC. The celebration, which included flag-raisings at now renamed UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene in Waynesburg, comes one year after the health systems announced plans to merge.
Officials from UPMC Washington and UPMC praised the affiliation at a morning press conference.
“Last June, the boards of directors of Washington Health System and UPMC announced our signed affiliation agreement. The affiliation would achieve Washington Health System’s priority, to preserve local access to high-quality health care that is sustainable for years and years to come. It would uphold and protect a healthy future for this proud and great community. And now, one year later, UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene are an essential part of one of the finest health systems in the nation,” said John Surma, chairperson of UPMC board of directors.
Leslie C. Davis, president and CEO of UPMC, said UPMC will invest $300 million over 10 years to upgrade facilities and services, and will provide $40 million to Washington Hospital Foundation to support initiatives the foundation chooses.
UPMC already had partnered with Washington Health System in a number of areas in recent years — among them, oncology, pediatric specialties, women’s health, and heart and vascular care — and Davis said UPMC “will build upon those partnerships to enhance local access to all of UPMC’s specialty care.”
Davis also welcomed the 2,700 employees of UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene.
Earlier this month, the merger cleared regulatory hurdles, and the health system reached an agreement with union SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania to protect employee contracts and benefits.
“This affiliation not only guarantees local access to health care service for our community members, but it also preserves jobs for our more than 2,000 skilled health care service workers and upholds the status of us being one of the largest employers in Washington and Greene counties. This is a truly exciting time for our team, our community, and our patients,” said Brook Ward, president of UPMC Washington.
Dr. John Six, UPMC Washington vice president of medical affairs, highlighted the significant role the health system plays in the community: Annually, the hospitals treat more than 47,000 emergency department visits, provide more than 15,000 inpatient observations and visits and 310,000 outpatient visits, perform more than 1 million laboratory tests and deliver more than 600 babies.
“However, like many rural hospitals in the country, providing the most cutting-edge care has become quite a challenge in today’s health care market. By joining UPMC, our providers will gain access to world-class resources and scientific expertise to better serve our patients,” said Six. “I am excited to contribute to the positive transformations that lie ahead.”
Dan Miller, chairperson of the UPMC Washington board of directors, commented on the institution’s long history, community focus, and impact.
“We know this hospital has provided great community care for 127 years, and I know, by joining UPMC, that we’re going to do another 127 here for the people in the community because this is a great place to live and work,” he said. “Change is never easy for any of us, but sometimes change is necessary and it’s a good thing. And I know, for this community, this is the right thing to do moving forward.”
Miller also shared a personal story of his relationship with UPMC.
Nine years ago, his oldest grandchild, then 6 months old, was the victim of an incident at a North Carolina day care and suffered brain damage that resulted in cerebral palsy.
Miller’s daughter and son-in-law moved home to be closer to family, and his granddaughter began receiving care at UPMC, including undergoing spinal surgery at UPMC Children’s Hospital, therapy at Washington Children’s Therapy and treatment at UPMC Children’s South.
“We’re so thankful. I’m beyond grateful for what UPMC has done for her,” said Miller. “Will she ever be normal from the standpoint of physical abilities in her life? No. But her improvement since she came back here over the last eight-and-a-half years has been amazing.”
