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Warren General Hospital, AHN and LECOM Health Sign Affiliation Agreement

Organizations Aim to Enhance the Quality, Value and Breadth of Health Services in Northwestern PA   

Warren, PA (September 24, 2018) – Officials from Warren General Hospital (WGH), Highmark Health, Allegheny Health Network (AHN) and LECOM Health joined community leaders and hospital employees today to celebrate the signing of an affiliation agreement that will strengthen and expand the services that WGH provides.

Last November, WGH, AHN and LECOM Health announced plans to establish an affiliation that would help advance their respective missions and strategies for delivering high-quality, high-value health care in the Northwestern Pennsylvania region.

“After much due diligence, we chose partners that share the longstanding values of Warren General and our commitment to both high-quality medical care and the promotion of overall community health,” said WGH Board President, Carmen Ferranto, MPS. “The Board is confident that this affiliation will help solidify the future of WGH as a vital link in the comprehensive array of high-quality primary and tertiary health care services available close-to-home for the residents of Warren and the surrounding area.”

As part of the affiliation agreement, a joint venture between AHN and LECOM Health will have a membership interest in WGH.  WGH will receive support from AHN, LECOM Health and Highmark Inc., for capital investments and for community health reinvestment projects.

Physicians employed by WGH have also joined AHN’s clinically integrated network (CIN), Physician Partners of Western Pennsylvania LLC.  Participation in the CIN will enable WGH to work closely with AHN to develop regionally integrated, value-based clinical programs and reimbursement models, as well as to establish an ambulatory and post-acute network that provides access to more effective chronic disease management.

Since 2016, WGH’s obstetrics program has been staffed by physicians from AHN’s Saint Vincent Hospital.  WGH will move to AHN-affiliated clinical support for emergency and hospitalist care as well in the coming months.

“Warren General Hospital is an extremely important asset to the many communities that it serves in Northwestern PA, and we are thrilled at the opportunity to help strengthen that proud tradition for current and future generations,” said Cynthia Hundorfean, President and CEO of AHN.  “In Warren General and LECOM Health we are aligning ourselves with partners who are committed to transforming health care around quality, value and innovation.”

AHN’s commitment to the region is also supported by its hospital in nearby Westfield, NY, which provides a variety of services to the community, including a recently renovated and expanded emergency department, diagnostic care, a small number of in-patient beds for short hospital stays, outpatient surgery and access to primary and specialty care physicians.

With an eye on the future health needs of the community, WGH, AHN, Highmark Health and LECOM will work together to develop a medical education program that supports community care and is linked to a long term physician recruitment and retention strategy for the region.

WGH will be established as an affiliated clinical site for LECOM medical students as part of the agreement, and WGH physicians and pharmacists will have the opportunity to obtain adjunct faculty appointments with LECOM.  WGH will provide clinical clerkships for LECOM students in the areas of family medicine/primary care, emergency medicine, internal medicine/hospitalist services and specialties such as gastroenterology, orthopedics, urology and obstetrics/gynecology.  The hospital will also work with LECOM to develop clerkships in other disciplines, such as pediatrics and psychiatry.

“We look forward to Warren General physicians and pharmacists joining our adjunct faculty where they will provide LECOM students with the clinical experience they need to become skilled and compassionate health care providers,” said John Ferretti, DO, President and CEO of LECOM Health. “This also is an incredible opportunity for our institutions to collectively develop and inspire the future medical leadership of Warren County.”

Earlier this month, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield also announced that it is expanding its Connect Blue EPO product to Warren County, effective Sept. 1. Connect Blue EPO is a high value, lower cost Community Blue Plan with a three-tiered network design available to large group customers.  Tiered networks allow insurers to offer customers access to high-value providers like WGH at more affordable rates.

”Strong partnerships are a key component of Highmark Health’s strategy to transform health care and deliver value-based care,” said Highmark Health President and CEO David Holmberg.  “We are confident that the affiliation between Allegheny Health Network, LECOM and Warren General, as well as the recent expansion of our Connect Blue EPO product in Warren County, will deliver an unparalleled, affordable patient experience to our customers, members and patients in northwestern Pennsylvania.”

About Warren General Hospital

Founded in 1900, Warren General is an 87-bed community hospital that offers a wide range of clinical services, from primary and emergency care to cancer care, orthopedic, general surgery, renal care, comprehensive rehabilitation services, psychiatric and detoxification care, maternal-child health, transitional care and home health services, among other programs. To learn more please visit www.wgh.org

About the Allegheny Health Network

Allegheny Health Network (www.AHN.org), a Highmark Health company, is an integrated health care delivery system serving the greater Western Pennsylvania region.  The Network is composed of eight hospitals, including Allegheny General Hospital, its flagship academic medical center in Pittsburgh, Allegheny Valley Hospital in Natrona Heights, Canonsburg Hospital in Canonsburg, Forbes Hospital in Monroeville, Jefferson Hospital in Jefferson Hills, Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie, West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh and Westfield Memorial Hospital in Westfield, NY.  The Network provides patients with access to a complete spectrum of advanced medical services, including nationally recognized programs for primary and emergency care, cardiovascular disease, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, women’s health, diabetes and more.  It also is home to a comprehensive research institute; Health + Wellness Pavilions; an employed physician organization, home and community based health services and a group purchasing organization. The Network employs approximately 18,000 people, has more than 2,400 physicians on its medical staff and serves as a clinical campus for Drexel University College of Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.

About LECOM Health

LECOM Health is an integrated, comprehensive academic health center that is dedicated to healthcare education, whole person lifelong patient care, and has a deep commitment to enhance the health of its community through service, promotion of clinical innovation, and research. It includes the nation’s largest medical school, the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) with more than 4100 students and 10,000 alumni; Millcreek Community Hospital, a 218-bed acute care hospital offering comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services and 24-hour emergency care; and the Medical Associates of Erie with more than 22 clinical practice and 74 physicians at 18 locations. Other LECOM Health partners include Corry Memorial Hospital, the LECOM John M. and Silvia Ferretti Medical Fitness and Wellness Center, the LECOM Senior Living Center, LifeWorks Erie, The Visiting Nurse Association of Erie County, LECOM Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and the Parkside and Regency independent living communities. LECOM Health employs 2743 individuals.  For more information, visit LECOMHealth.com.