New Penn State Children's Hospital moves closer to reality

Highmark's $20 million commitment increases total funding for facility to more than $45 million

Hershey, Pa. -- Construction of a new Penn State Children's Hospital is closer to becoming reality following today's announcement of a $20 million commitment by Highmark Inc. Highmark's support for the new Children's Hospital brings total funding for the facility to more than $45 million.

"Highmark's partnership brings us substantially closer to the construction of a new state-of-the-art hospital focused specifically on the needs of children and their families," said Harold L. Paz, Penn State's senior vice president for health affairs, dean of Penn State College of Medicine and CEO of Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. "This is an investment which is unmistakably consistent with Highmark's established commitment to the health and well being of children and will serve to greatly enhance the availability of specialized health care for children."

Designs and programming for the state-of-the-art, free-standing facility must still be completed, but features will include a pediatric cancer pavilion dedicated to the treatment of children with cancer, as well as patient rooms and amenities designed to increase comfort and privacy for young patients and their families.

Currently, Penn State Children's Hospital is a 123-bed "hospital-within-a-hospital" located primarily on the seventh floor of Penn State Hershey Medical Center. The facility serves as the region's only pediatric trauma center, dedicated pediatric-intensive care and intermediate care units and Level III-C neonatal intensive care unit. Children's Hospital admissions exceed 6,500 patients per year with more than 125,000 children seen annually on an outpatient basis. The current patient volumes and growing need for pediatric services in central Pennsylvania serve as the primary reason for the organization's plans to construct a free-standing children's hospital. In addition, a state-of-the-art facility will enhance efforts to recruit world-class pediatric specialists and researchers to Hershey.

With the addition of a substantial number of pediatric inpatient beds, the new facility also will create additional capacity in the existing Medical Center, which currently experiences 96 percent or greater capacity on a weekly basis. When the Children's Hospital is complete, pediatric services will move from the seventh floor of the existing hospital, freeing more than 100 beds which can be used for adult care.

"By supporting Penn State Children's Hospital with a $20 million grant we are helping to increase access to health care not only for children but also for adults," said Kenneth R. Melani, president and CEO of Highmark Inc. "Playing a role in providing children and families with the tools and practices needed to lead longer, healthier lives is also what the Highmark mission is all about."

For more information, visit http://live.psu.edu/healthcare online.

Related stories:
-- Highmark, Penn State and Penn State Hershey Medical Center announce 10-year partnership, http://live.psu.edu/story/22770
-- Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Highmark partner to expand clinical research activity in central Pennsylvania, http://live.psu.edu/story/22768
-- Penn State, Penn State Hershey Medical Center and Highmark to work together to develop health and wellness programs, http://live.psu.edu/story/22767

* * *
MEDIA INQUIRIES CONTACT:
Sean Young, (717) 531-8606, e-mail: syoung@psu.edu
Bill Mahon, (814) 865-7517, e-mail: Bmahon@psu.edu
Leilyn Perri, (717) 302-4243, e-mail: Leilyn.perri@highmark.com