By: Holly Riddle
Penn Highlands Healthcare, State College
It’s no secret that Happy Valley is experiencing a massive increase in new healthcare facilities. Mount Nittany Health has multiple projects underway, as does Geisinger. The latest project to open its doors to the public is the new Penn Highlands State College, lauded as “the hospital of tomorrow.”
“State College was chosen as the site for Penn Highlands Healthcare’s new hospital because it enables the health system to expand our footprint east while serving the people in the Centre County region,” said Rhonda Halstead, MSM, Regional Market President, Central Region, Penn Highlands Healthcare. “The convenient State College location gives people in the Centre County region increased access to Penn Highlands Healthcare’s expert physicians and providers and innovative healthcare services in their region.”
Penn Highlands lobby area
The $70 million hospital and medical office building is indeed located conveniently, right off some of the area’s main thoroughfares and near major shopping centers, but the new hospital’s benefits exceed its location. According to Halstead, the hospital and medical office building provide patients with “practically everything they need under one roof.”
There’s an emergency department with private treatment rooms and a trauma room, medical imaging, a lab, drive-thru pharmacy, walk-in clinic and the Hahne Cancer Centre and Breast Care Services.
But what exactly does being “the hospital of tomorrow” mean? Beyond convenient location and a wide breadth of services, Penn Highlands State College harnesses the power of state-of-the-art technology to make the healthcare experience more comfortable and, again, convenient.
That experience begins before patients even arrive at the hospital, with Penn Highlands Healthcare MyCheckIn used to complete intake forms from a computer, tablet or smartphone. Then, patients can check in for an appointment, using their smartphone upon arrival. MyCheckIn is currently being used for family medicine, pulmonary and orthopedics and sports medicine appointments.
The facility also utilizes a biometric patient identification system that scans the unique veins in each person’s hand.
Penn Highlands inpatient room
Halstead explained, “The system generates a key associated with those scanned veins which have more than 1,000 characteristics unique to each person. That key is then stored and compared upon each patient’s visit during the registration process. When a patient places their palm just a few inches above the reader, the digital key then confirms their unique identity and informs the registration clerk that they have the correct patient’s electronic chart.”
Penn Highlands State College was “built from scratch” — unlike Penn Highlands’ other hospitals, which were acquired. This has allowed Penn Highlands Healthcare to construct every element of the facility around the express desire to meet community needs.
“Penn Highlands Healthcare had a vision for this hospital and medical office building for many years. We identified the health and wellness needs of this region, and with Penn Highlands State College we are providing these services for the Centre County region such as Emergency Care, Lung Care, Medical Imaging, Women’s healthcare and more,” said Halstead. “We constructed this hospital around the region’s specific needs. From the minute they walk through the door, patients and visitors will notice that the hospital and medical office building were designed for their comfort and privacy.”
The Penn Highlands State College project is part of a broader, $180 million Penn Highlands Healthcare Master Facilities Plan, which also included new facilities and/or renovations in DuBois, Clearfield and Brookville, among others.
Holly Riddle is a freelance lifestyle and business journalist. She can be reached at holly.ridd@gmail.com.
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