Investment in care, community paramount to Geisinger COMMENTARY Dr. Glenn Steele Jr.

WHEN OUR founder Abigail Geisinger first said, “Make my hospital right, make it the best,” she was focused on doing what was best for patients and the Danville community served by Geisinger Medical Center. Nearly a century later, Mrs. Geisinger’s hospital has evolved into an integrated health care delivery organization that stretches across Central and Northeastern Pennsylvania – yet our focus on patients and the community remains the same.

Geisinger’s history is rooted in community service and marked by a longstanding commitment to continuously improving health care quality and value. This commitment grows stronger as we further our culture of innovation and doing what is right for our patients, health plan members and area communities. As a not-for-profit organization, we are wise stewards of resources and demonstrate that stewardship in many ways, such as through community support, our considerable positive impact on the economy and our significant reinvestment in our people, facilities and technology.

Last year, Geisinger invested $265.9 million in community support, which is two times greater than the amount of community service needed to meet Pennsylvania’s standards as a charitable mission. We take seriously our role as a good corporate citizen and benefit the community in many ways including: care for the elderly and the poor not paid by Medicare or Medicaid; the provision of allied health, residency and fellowship educational programs; free, uncompensated care to patients who cannot afford to pay; investment in health care research; community health, education and outreach programs; services provided by volunteers; and community assistance payments to help local municipalities with the cost of providing services.

According to The Hospital and Health System Association of Pennsylvania, Geisinger has an approximate $5.5 billion annual positive impact on Pennsylvania’s economy. Through direct employment, spending and the ripple effect of our utilization of local, regional and state vendors, Geisinger provided nearly 26,000 jobs to the commonwealth’s workforce in 2010. Throughout Geisinger alone, we have added 6,000 new jobs over the last decade. While statewide unemployment is near its highest levels in 25 years, and with most indicators pointing toward a continued period of job scarcity, Geisinger remains a stable, attractive and growing employer and makes an annual investment of about $1.1 billion in salary, benefits, education and training.

Since 2002, Geisinger has reinvested more than $1 billion in capital expenditures to ensure our health care professionals and support staffs have the necessary equipment, technology and facilities to provide quality care. What’s more, we expect an additional capital investment of nearly $250 million in the coming year.

We are able to continue our patient care and charitable mission thanks to the health system’s positive operational performance. Thanks to the hard work and commitment of our more than 14,400 employees, Geisinger is a strong organization able to invest in the most experienced and talented employees, the best technology and facilities close to where our patients live and work.

We gladly accept our responsibility to reinvest energy and resources into further strengthening the health care delivery system of Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

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