JERSEY SHORE—Jersey Shore Hospital will be the newest satellite campus for Geisinger Health System. The merger was announced Wednesday; the new Geisinger Jersey Shore facility will have 25 beds and continue to have 300 employees.
David Shannon, Jersey Shore Hospital CEO says smaller hospitals can’t thrive on their own anymore saying, “ With all the challenges facing health care today, especially in Pennsylvania, for these small independent facilities like Jersey Shore it’s really difficult to thrive without becoming part of a larger organization or system.”
Geisinger officials said they are acquiring all of Jersey Shore’s assets and liabilities and the new facility will operate as part of the Geisinger system, in much the same way hospitals in Shamokin and Bloomsburg are part of the GHS system.
Tom Sokola, Chief Administrative officer at Geisinger Medical Center says this merger is part of Geisinger’s strategic plan, “Integrating Jersey Shore Hospital into Geisinger has been part of our strategic growth plan. We will be expanding our long term commitment to the whole north central Pennsylvania.”
Last week leaders from Geisinger and Highmark held a statewide news conference call and announced that they are exploring a new joint venture. They discussed having a series of new health care programs in the Lycoming, Clinton, Tioga and Sullivan County regions… (Sarah Benek)
