Newswise — LEWISTOWN, Pa. – The full merger and integration of Lewistown Hospital into Geisinger Health System has received final approval from the Pennsylvania Attorney General and the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Officials at Lewistown Hospital and Geisinger have set an effective date of November 1, 2013 for the new Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital.

“We are pleased to receive the necessary regulatory approvals and thank the Attorney General and Department of Health for their diligent, constructive, and collaborative review of this transaction,” said Geisinger Health System president and chief executive officer Glenn Steele, Jr., M.D. “We welcome the Lewistown Hospital team into the Geisinger family, and look forward to building programs, growing services, improving outcomes and demonstrating value to the people of the Juniata Valley.”

Patients will continue to access all of the existing services and eventually additional services at Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital, including emergency services which are provided 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“This is tremendous news for Lewistown Hospital, our patients, staff and area residents,” said Lewistown Hospital president and chief executive officer Kay A. Hamilton. “This merger with Geisinger ensures that a strong, nonprofit health care system focused on patients remains in Lewistown. I, too, thank the Attorney General and Department of Health for their review, as well as the community for its support of our hospital.”

About Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital:Lewistown Hospital, a non-profit organization, is a 123-bed acute care community hospital serving the 80,000 residents of Mifflin and Juniata counties and members of the contiguous counties of Centre, Perry, Snyder, and Huntingdon. Established in 1905, the hospital provides inpatient, outpatient, wellness and community services while employing over 1,000 full-time and part-time employees and providing a Medical Staff consisting of 128 physicians and allied health practitioners representing specialties ranging from family medicine, internal medicine, and cardiology to infectious disease and general / cardiovascular surgery. www.geisinger.org/glh.

About Geisinger Health System:Geisinger Health System is an integrated health services organization widely recognized for its innovative use of the electronic health record, and the development of innovative care models such as ProvenHealth Navigator® and ProvenCare®. As the nation’s largest rural health services organization, Geisinger serves more than 2.6 million residents throughout 44 counties in central and northeastern Pennsylvania. The physician-led system is comprised of more than 19,500 employees, including a 1,000-member multi-specialty group practice, six hospital campuses, two research centers and a 413,000-member health plan, all of which leverage an estimated $6.1 billion positive impact on the Pennsylvania economy. The health system and the health plan have repeatedly garnered national accolades for integration, quality and service. In addition to fulfilling its patient care mission, Geisinger has a long-standing commitment to medical education, research and community service. For more information, visit www.geisinger.org, or follow the latest Geisinger news and more on Twitter and Facebook.####

MEDIA CONTACT
Register for reporter access to contact details