Penn State Hershey, Wyoming Valley Health Care System announce partnership

Penn State Hershey, Wyoming Valley Health Care System announce partnership

Hershey, Pa. -- Leaders for Wyoming Valley Health Care System (WVHCS) and Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State College of Medicine today (July 14) announced a new partnership which will enhance the clinical services offered to patients throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania and strengthen the medical education and research efforts of both organizations.

Under the terms of the affiliation agreement, Penn State Hershey and WVHCS will meet regularly to set priorities, evaluate joint opportunities and explore growth in a number of key clinical programs and services. The agreement also means that WVHCS can participate in and have access to research grants and core clinical research facilities through Penn State Hershey Medical Center and Penn State University, as well as shared funding for clinical trial participation.

"This affiliation has positive implications for our health system, for our physicians and most importantly for our patients and community," said WVHCS President and Chief Executive Officer William R. Host. "For our patients, it brings the resources of a great university and academic medical center to the local medical community for the development of new programs and the further enhancement of regional medical care. We are delighted with this association and proud that Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Hershey Medical Center recognize the strength of our health offerings and are eager to work with us."

"This is a significant partnership because it combines the clinical expertise and experience of Wyoming Valley Health Care System's many highly respected and extraordinarily accomplished medical professionals with the resources of our world class medical center and College of Medicine," said David Hefner, executive director and chief operating officer of Penn State Hershey Medical Center. "This agreement not only better positions both of us to serve our patients in the Wyoming Valley, it also strengthens the clinical and research programs for both Penn State Hershey and Wyoming Valley Health Care System and enhances our medical education initiatives," he added. "We are extremely proud to be working together and look forward to the many positive impacts our strategic alliance will have on the Wyoming Valley and beyond."

Host explained that the partnership also will enhance physician recruitment and improve continuing medical education opportunities for members of its medical staff.

"For our organization, an academic association will be of great benefit in recruiting physicians with strong academic backgrounds who prefer to be in a private practice but want the benefits and support of a strong university medical center," said Host. "For our current physicians, it presents an opportunity to work closely with the medical center in areas of teaching and research and to have available certain programs and protocols not available in most community settings."

"Overall, this is a tremendous opportunity that deepens our existing commitment to the Wyoming Valley region," added Hefner. "Clearly, our partnership with Wyoming Valley Health Care System means patients in Northeastern Pennsylvania region will be able to find ready access to care for which Penn State is nationally renowned and care which is currently either absent or extremely scarce in the region."

One significant outcome of the partnership will be a memorandum of understanding to be signed by the leadership of Wyoming Valley Health Care System and Penn State Hershey. WVHCS will expand its offerings in neurosurgery through the use of physicians, resources and services provided at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital by Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Penn State College of Medicine.

Through the neurosciences agreement, world-renowned neurosurgeons from Penn State Hershey Medical Center will be available to treat patients at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital effective July 18. Additionally, WVHCS patients will have access to the vast resources of Penn State Hershey Medical Center whenever necessary.

Penn State neurosurgeons will be headquartered in the Center for Same Day Surgery office space adjacent to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital and will provide continual neurosurgical coverage at the hospital. The neurosurgeons also will provide Gamma Knife procedures at the WVHCS Gamma Knife Center, 345 North Pennsylvania Ave., Wilkes-Barre, and will ensure that this lifesaving and non-invasive brain surgery procedure is available to more patients in the region.

Currently, WVHCS and Penn State Children's Hospital, Hershey, enjoy a highly successful partnership that provides the region with pediatric specialty offerings at Penn State Specialists at Wyoming Valley Health Care System, Kingston. This most recent partnership further strengthens the relationship between the two and deepens their commitment of providing world-class health care to the Northeastern Pennsylvania region.