OT: Rumor UPMC expanding
- Thread starter TIGER-PAUL
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I wished they'd build a nicer, more convenient medical campus on the Mon in Hazelwood so we can rip thise ugly hospitals down and......you know.
I've heard for a long time the Mcgees would be the hospital the moves to the south. That would be a perfect spot for you know what.
They were planning some R and D facility on that strip in hazelwood but pulled out. Not sure why.
I thought it was a facility to make vaccines? Supposed to be a big boon to Hazelwood and the thing collapsed.
That is the next logical place. UPMC Health Plan has already been pushing into that area, so that is where the rumors may be coming from and that may be all that it amounts to.
Susquehanna Health, a four hospital system in the Williamsport area, merged with UPMC in October so they moved into North Central PA (Lycoming & Tioga counties) and essentially became the main medical presence now in that region. They're obviously already the major medical presence in the Pittsburgh area up through Northwestern PA, as well as out to the Altoona area, and are aligned with the systems (Uniontown) in Southwestern PA (not to mention a fairly stable Excela, like most medical centers, hates Highmark). UPMC is also now has entered New York (across the border in Jamestown) and has been selected by the medical center in Cumberland, Maryland to affiliate with. They've been blocked from entering West Virginia (even for telemedicine) by the state that is protecting WVU's medical center, which is now encroaching on Southwest PA (see Uniontown's deepening alliance with UPMC). They have a pinky toe (cancer center) in Ohio, but there probably isn't much there for them considering OSU and the Cleveland Clinic.
However, the next logical place, and probably the last place to expand in Pennsylvania, is South Central PA. The FTC-scuttled merger between Penn State Hershey and Pinnacle leaves both looking for new partners. UPMC swooping in to fill the void as a partner with Pinnacle could make sense for both. Pinnacle won't receive a better deal from Geisinger or Penn, but the question is if it makes sense for UPMC. The hub and spoke model may break down out that far considering the proximity to other academic medical centers (e.g. PSU Hershey), but I think that is really a last significant piece in PA that will be available and they may view it as worthwhile just to fortify UPMC Health Plan in that region (not to mention have a presence in the state's political epicenter). BTW, not that it necessarily matters, but the CEO of Pinnacle is a Pitt grad (BS '78) and also worked at Shadyside hospital. But it is no secret Pinnacle is looking for new merger partners. Penn State Health, btw, is fairly screwed as they don't have great options to grow (maybe WellSpan). Penn is coming up from the Southeast, Geisinger from the Northeast, UPMC from the West. St. Luke's is affiliated with Temple. Perhaps Lehigh Valley Health could be an option unless Geisinger is frightened into trying something again, but they explored that before and called it off. I know what I'd do if I were them, and it'll be interesting what route they go, but essentially, they tried to get into the game way too late. Also, per their standard obnoxious rah rah procedure, and to great internal fanfare, they put a Nittany Lion shrine outside of the one hospital in Berks that they took over, so their being boxed in by better medical centers certainly doesn't wring any tears.
To the other issue, Magee-Womens is not moving their main campus to any suburb. It's one thing for Children's to have move just across the Bloomfield Bridge but the suburbs are a completely different story. Magee has recently expanded both their main hospital and their research institute and it is perfectly located next to the academic research hub in Oakland where all their faculty want to be. They are expanding their brand to other locations though, like in Erie. So expect Magee-Womens satellite sites to spring up like Children's Hospital satellite sites are. If UPMC does place a hospital in the South Hills (the one area where they are the weakest in the Pittsburgh area) it will be a brand new hospital like when they built UPMC East.
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It was dependent on a winning a major federal grant to secure funding as a federal vaccine production facility. Despite pouring millions into the pitch, they lost it to Texas A&M who built the facility before even winning the grant.
Build some more dorms? Exactly what I was thinking.
I don't think Wellspan looks for someone acquire them as they seem to be a fairly robust and healthy system. I worked in IT for them several years ago and they had their stuff together, reminded me of a mini-UPMC. Lancaster Health would be another option but again they seem to be doing quite well (Lancaster is quite affluent). Pinnacle does seem like the weakest link in Central PA healthcare.
It would be a major coup if UPMC were ever to acquire Wellspan.
It would be a major coup if UPMC were ever to acquire Wellspan.
That would actually be a great spot for the veterans hospital. Less mold.
WellSpan has done well. They could be a merger partner for Pinnacle as well. I don't see them looking to UPMC but you never know. However, Pinnacle (at least) was looking to hook up with an academic medical center. Lancaster Health is affiliated with Penn.
Ephrata is with Wellspan now. York Hospital is too, though Memorial in York was still independant last I checked (if they are even still in operation).
Ephrata was taken over by WellSpan and Heart of Lancaster was bought by Community Health Systems (CHS is a Tennessee-based for profit). York is part of WellSpan while Memorial Hospital in York was also purchased by CHS.
Hannover is really the only independent hospital in that region and I don't think they're an attractive merger partner.
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This is easily, the best explanation of the situation out here.
When UPMC did the unthinkable and put down roots in Altoona, it really was a game changer. The move into Williamsport was pretty earth shattering because UPMC basically set up in Geisinger's back yard and could eventually force their hand.
Probably the only thing holding UPMC back out here is their inability to penetrate the local "group" insurance market with businesses. Highmark dug in and is putting up barriers everywhere because they are so deeply entrenched in Harrisburg. The state has basically made UPMC eat whatever garbage Highmark has slung at them here because there are no "options". Will be interesting to see how that develops over time.
UPMC is also in the process of building a new complex of some sort in the Johnstown [Richland] area. Not sure exactly what it is.
Health plan offices?
Also building near Ebensburg, Pa.
http://www.tribdem.com/news/vision-...cle_a40748ac-f9ff-11e6-bd15-43d87c110b3e.html
UPMC was talking to Altoona for a looong time....They came close to merging back before Altoona had even merged with Mercy. In that sense, it wasn't unthinkable. They already had Bedford anyway which has since been essentially placed under Altoona's administration. Add to that a lot of people from the Altoona area went to Pittsburgh for more complex treatments anyway. Altoona is culturally very much a Western PA area.
Now Williamsport, that is really the first area outside of Western PA that they expanded into in the state, so that did set a precedent I think for them significantly moving outside of Western PA. Geissinger has as many issues with Highmark as UPMC does, so while UPMC is blocking their growth east, I think they'll co-exist fine.
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sshhh....don't you know that if anyone in the area dares question anything about the money raised by Thon they are immediately labeled a hater and their sanity is called into question.
Don't think that will ever happen (except maybe for medical offices). Altoona is pretty much there though, and it will be the major medical hub for that whole region.
UPMC doesn't really play up the Pitt in UPMC though. They've even taken the university seals off all the new signage in Oakland (which I thought from the beginning when they phased that out it was a mistake and counter to how all other medical centers utilize the brands of their university affiliations...see Penn, Temple, Maryland, WVU, PSU...really everyone else).
It has been this way for a long while for the UPMC branding. It began during the official "divorce" from Pitt in the 90's, about the time Romoff gave up his Pitt appointment.
Yes, it has been that way for a while, but it was still using the seal through the mid-2000s I believe. They moved to purple coloring of their font in 2010. (The font, BTW, is still shared with the University as the primary word mark of the school). I was just disappointed that UPMC has gone through the effort to actually remove the seal off of places like the entrance to Presby this year. But many of these other academic medical centers are also legally separated from their universities now, but they utilize the branding of their academic affiliate in a big way. Really, I think it is a missed opportunity for the university now that UPMC is moving into new regions.
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Interesting. Seems as though he was pushed out/fired. Something definitely going on behind the scenes there.
When UPMC merges with other health systems, the leadership usually doesn't change at the top, at least immediately. Usually they stay in place to at least see the transition through. As one of the articles on this move postulates it could possibly be due to a forthcoming merger or acquisition, and I'd say if that is the case, this move suggests UPMC is not involved. But it really depends on what the internal entrenched positions are. Hard to know.
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Digging a little deeper, apparently Michael Young, Pinnacle's now former CEO, "resigned" from Lancaster General after 16 years in 2004 because of rehab for alcohol. This story could be more about personal demons than Pinnacle's strategy moving forward. Pinnacle's CIO and CMO also apparently have recently resigned, so it could just be a general purge of leadership. Very unusual for such a sudden departure though, and a lot seemingly going on behind the scenes.
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