Penn Highlands Healthcare’s Commitment to the Elk County Region Remains
Residents throughout the Elk County region have relied on Penn Highlands Healthcare for community-based healthcare and wellness services for more than 125 years. Employing approximately 800 local healthcare workers, Penn Highlands Elk is one of the region’s largest employers. According to the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, Penn Highlands Elk provides more than $105 million in economic benefit to Elk County communities through direct wages and the impact those wages have on the local economies when its employees buy groceries, clothing, cars, homes, etc.
Penn Highlands Healthcare strengthened its local commitment to the region in 2024 by investing more than $7 million to construct a new modern Ridgway Community Medical Building. Penn Highlands utilizes this facility to provide a wide range of services under one roof for greater convenience. The facility offers the following services:
- QCare Walk-in Clinic
- Primary Care
- Retail Pharmacy including Drive Thru Service
- Outpatient Physical Therapy
- Ultrasound by Appointment
- Walk-in Laboratory Services
- Urology
- Occupational Health
“The Ridgway Community Medical Building is a one-stop healthcare facility. Patients can see a provider, have their medical imaging and labs done and fill their prescriptions all in one convenient location,” said Julie Peer, President of Penn Highlands Elk.
Without Penn Highlands’ strong commitment to the Ridgway community, residents would be without a local pharmacy with the recent Rite Aid closure announcement.
“Pharmacies are hubs for healthcare in our communities,” said Michelle Bennett, Pharm D, BCPS, System Director, Retail Pharmacy for Penn Highlands Healthcare. “They particularly play significant roles in rural communities where people often rely on their pharmacists for information on medication use, immunizations and more. Plus, at Penn Highlands, we know that some people may not be feeling well when they visit our pharmacies, so we try to make their experience as convenient and positive as possible.”
“One of the key benefits of having a retail pharmacy that is part of a health system filling your prescriptions is that we share an electronic medical record. This relationship enables our pharmacists to access a Penn Highlands Healthcare patient’s medication history and notes which reduces medication errors and allows for better coordination among the health care team. Of course, we also fill prescriptions from any licensed provider in the region,” added Bennett.
The pharmacy’s many services include:
- Free delivery service
- Easy refill requests by phone
- An auto-refill program that is ideal for people who take maintenance medications – the pharmacy will automatically refill the prescription and call or text when the prescription is ready for pick up
- Bubble-pack medication options that package and organize doses in sealed compartments to enhance medication adherence and simplify the process of taking medication especially among those taking multiple prescriptions
- Immunizations and vaccinations for influenza, shingles, pneumonia, COVID-19 and RSV
- Pharmacist consultations and medication review
- A variety of over-the-counter medications
The Penn Highlands Community Pharmacy is located at 250 West Main Street in Ridgway. It is open Monday thru Friday from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM and Saturday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
For more information, call 814-245-2950.