The Huntingdon-based J.C. Blair Health System has officially joined Penn Highlands Healthcare, effective June 1, following recent regulatory reviews and approvals.
J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital, a 71-bed, non-profit community hospital, is now known as Penn Highlands Huntingdon, making it the fifth hospital in the Penn Highlands Healthcare system.
“This affiliation represents an exciting new chapter in our growth,” said Steven M. Fontaine, Chief Executive Officer of Penn Highlands Healthcare. “Just like our other hospitals, J.C. Blair is deeply rooted in its community and is known for providing high-quality care to patients close to home. Now, through our partnership, we will not only continue to provide the services residents of Huntingdon County and surrounding communities have come to depend on, but we also will bring access to the advanced care and treatments available through Penn Highlands Healthcare.”
The boards of directors of both Penn Highlands Healthcare and J.C. Blair signed a letter of intent in October that paved the way for this affiliation. After rigorous due diligence, research and discussion, a definitive agreement was signed and received official regulatory review and approval.
“As Penn Highlands Huntingdon, we will continue in the spirit of our founder, Kate Fisher Blair, and her husband, John Chalmers Blair, our tradition of providing the highest standard of health care to the residents of Huntingdon County and surrounding communities,” said J.C. Blair Board Chairman Fred Price. “We look forward to maintaining and expanding our key programs and services, attracting and retaining high quality physicians in a wide range of specialties, and preserving jobs in the county. Penn Highlands is a good fit for our organization and community.”
“This affiliation will provide a great opportunity for J.C. Blair to build upon its strength as a leader in health care services while also maintaining our role as a major employer in the county,” remarked J.C. Blair President and CEO Joe Myers. “An affiliation with Penn Highlands will create a sustainable model for our local hospital as well as bring additional resources and expertise to Huntingdon County.”
According to Dick Pfingstler, Chairman of the Penn Highlands Healthcare Board, the affiliation of J.C. Blair will expand the geographic footprint of Penn Highlands Healthcare while strengthening its ability to recruit providers and further grow many of its specialty services.
“We are thrilled to strengthen our organization through the addition of Penn Highlands Huntingdon,” Pfingstler said. “Creating even more health care access and delivery throughout our region aligns perfectly with our longstanding mission to serve our communities.”
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About J.C. Blair Health System:
J.C. Blair Health System is the healthcare leader in Huntingdon County, serving the community’s healthcare needs and striving to deliver the best outcome for every patient for over 100 years. The Health System includes J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital, a 71-bed, non-profit community hospital; J.C. Blair Medical Services which employs specialty physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners; and J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital Foundation. With an active medical staff of nearly 40 physicians, over 400 employees, and more than 40 active volunteers, J.C. Blair is the only hospital in rural Huntingdon County, serving over 45,000 permanent county residents. Its key service lines include a newly renovated and expanded emergency department, an urgent care center, a heart catheterization lab, orthopedics, surgical services, gastroenterology, and integrated behavioral health services, as well as an intensive care unit, medical/surgical unit, full service medical laboratory with several outlying lab locations, cardiopulmonary and radiology departments, and a wound healing center. For more information, visit J.C. Blair’s website at www.jcblair.org.
About Penn Highlands Healthcare
Penn Highlands Healthcare was officially formed on September 30, 2011, and is comprised of four hospitals – Penn Highlands Brookville, Penn Highlands Clearfield, Penn Highlands DuBois and Penn Highlands Elk – that have served area communities for the past 100 years. Its business continuum also includes a home care agency, Penn Highlands Community Nurses; two long-term care facilities, Pinecrest Manor and Penn Highlands Jefferson Manor; and a senior residential living facility, Elco Glen.
Through this partnership, Penn Highlands Healthcare has evolved into an organization with nearly 3,600 workers in 100-plus locations throughout 12 counties in North Central/Western Pennsylvania that include community medical buildings, outpatient facilities, surgery centers and physician practices.
Providing exceptional quality care to the region, it has nearly 450 physicians and nearly 250 advanced practice providers on staff. The facilities have a total of 474 inpatient beds. The system offers a wide-range of care and treatments with specialty units that care for cancer, cardiovascular/thoracic, lung, neonatal and high-risk pregnancy patients.
Being focused on what is important – patients and families – makes Penn Highlands Healthcare the best choice in the region. For more information, visit www.phhealthcare.org.