The Geisinger Health System (GHS) is a physician-led health care system of northeastern and central Pennsylvania with headquarters located in Danville, Pennsylvania.
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Danville resident Abigail Geisinger, widow of iron magnate George Geisinger, used her fortune to build a hospital intended to be a regional medical center modeled on the Mayo Clinic. Founded in 1915, Geisinger Health System provides more than two million people in 38 counties in Pennsylvania a complete continuum of health care. The Geisinger Health System enjoys national recognition as a model for quality health service delivery, has been listed in Best Hospitals in America, and its physicians have been listed in The Best Doctors in America. Its primary care facility is the Geisinger Medical Center (GMC) located in Danville, with two other hospitals in Wilkes-Barre, Geisinger Wyoming Valley (GWV)and Geisinger South Wilkes Barre. There are numerous Geisinger clinics throughout northeastern Pennsylvania in Wilkes-Barre, Pittston, Wyoming, Scranton, Dallas, Plains, Kingston, and other surrounding cities and towns.
An electronic health record, in place for more than 10 years, provides patients the ability to view their records, electronically communicate with their caregivers and research various medical topics through links to trusted medical information on the Internet. Non-Geisinger physicians and their staff can access their patients’ Geisinger electronic health records by utilizing a special portal that allows them to communicate electronically with Geisinger specialists and sub-specialists. Geisinger Health System has adopted the Epic EMR for electronic documentation of patient and medical information. Currently, the latest implementation known as CPOE (Computerized Provider Order Entry) took place at Geisinger Medical Center in mid October 2007 and has thus remained a success. Expected future implementations are scheduled for the latter part of this year and into the beginning of 2009 at remaining clinics and hospitals.
A milestone in the history of Geisinger Health System includes a failed merger with Penn State/Hershey Medical Center from July 1997 to November 1999. The merger of the two large health care organizations and subsequent failure has provided a valuable reference for other systems with similar plans. The ultimate collapse of the merger has been attributed to the leadership's failure to recognize challenges of cultural differences between the institutions and community acceptance. e.g. Academic physicians at the Hershey Medical Center were resistant to the delegation of practice management to which the Geisinger physicians had become accustomed. [1]
In February 2006, Geisinger launched a new program with the intent of changing how healthcare is provided and paid for in the United States. Called ProvenCare by Geisinger, the program features three key elements: a strict reliance on evidence-based standards in medicine, a fixed-price financial mechanism to pay for certain procedures (such as open heart surgery), and patient engagement/activation.[1] Geisinger says the program is an attempt to give patients the most consistent, comprehensive and effective care possible. ProvenCare has been written about in such publications as New England Journal of Medicine[2], New York Times[3], and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Geisinger opened its $21 million Geisinger Center for Health Research on its Danville campus in the spring of 2007. The three-floor, 63,000-square-foot (5,900 m2) facility has achieved a Leed Certification for its environmentally friendly design. Researchers conduct health services, epidemiologic and population genetics research to address problems such as obesity, autism, stroke, diabetes, and hypertension. These projects complement the basic science research at the Sigfried and Janet Weis Center for Research, and the Center for Clinical Studies also on Geisinger’s Danville campus. The current director of Geisinger's Center for Clinical Studies is Peter B. Berger.
Location of Hospitals
Location of Clinics in Pennsylvania: Altoona, Sayre, Bellefonte, State College, DuBois, Lock Haven, McElhattan, Berwick, Bloomsburg, Catawissa, Millville, Mifflin, Moosic, Dunmore, Dallas, Hazleton, Kingston, Mountaintop, Pittston, Wyoming, Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, Plains, Montoursville, Lewistown, Mountainhome, Mount Pocono, East Stroudsburg, Danville, Kulpmont, Milton, Sunbury, Coal Township, Frackville, Mahanoy City, Orwigsburg, Pottsville, Valley View, Selinsgrove, Lewisburg, Meshoppen, Nicholson, Tunkhannock.
In 2008, Geisinger's total operating revenue for its inpatient hospitals was $943 million, and its total operating expenses were $910 million.[4] The average total margin for the Wilkes-Barre campus from 2005-2008 was -21.88%[4]. In July, 2009, the Wilkes-Barre campus was changed to an urgent care and ambulatory surgery center.
Medicare contributed to approximately 32.7% of the hospital net patient revenue, while Medical Assistance contributed to approximately 6.6% of the hospital net patient revenue. Approximately 1.5% of inpatient care was uncompensated care [4].
in 2010, Geisinger ended the fiscal year with an operating income of $127.4 million (after interest expense). Revenue grew 10.7% from the prior year and Geisinger provided $274.5 million of community benefits including care provided under government programs at less than cost and other uncompensated care.
Geisinger Health Insurance Rates