Geisinger Authority celebrates 40th anniversary during Foss Home dinner
The Authority has overseen more than $2 billion in funding
DANVILLE, PA -- Current and past Geisinger Authority members celebrated the Authority’s 40th anniversary at a recent dinner with Geisinger leaders and community members.
On Nov. 20, 1975, Montour County, Pa., established the Geisinger Medical Center Authority, which was renamed Geisinger Authority in 1987. The Authority was established for the purpose of financing certain capital projects of Geisinger Health System and other non-profit organizations within the county.
The Authority has now helped Geisinger Health System issue 28 tax-exempt bond issues totaling $2,087,449,464 over the last 40 years. It also assists Maria Joseph Manor and the Danville Child Development Center with issuing tax-exempt debt to further their purposes.
Kevin Brennan, CPA, FHFMA, executive vice president of finance and chief financial officer, Geisinger Health System, estimates that in his 21 years at Geisinger, the Authority has conservatively saved Geisinger $5 million through its issuance of tax-exempt bonds.
“What we have done with that efficiency that you have helped to create has been retained here in the community,” Brennan said. “We’ve reinvested in programs that help patients every day.”
David Prior, a retired partner of Ballard Spahr LLP, a national law firm, drafted the papers that created the Authority and has been the bondsmen throughout its 40 years.
“Of all of the things that this Authority has done over the years, I think what is most remarkable to me is that they [the members] have always asked the right questions and they’ve always done the right things for the right reasons,” Prior said.
Geisinger currently maintains credit ratings of “Aa2” from Moody’s Investors Service and “AA” form Standard & Poor’s Ratings Service; both ratings recognize Geisinger as a high-quality borrower with very low risk.
The original members of the Authority were: Esther Cotner, Samuel M. Keefer, John H. Bausch, James P. Connolley, Robert L. Bergenstock, Arthur K. Purpur, Patricia Billmeyer and solicitor Richard Brittain, Esq. Current members include John J. Metzer, chairman; Susan M. Kauwell, vice chairman; Walter R. Shultz, secretary; William R. Betz, treasurer; Constance J. Kuziak, assistant secretary; H. James Shutt, assistant treasurer; Barbara J. Nied, parliamentarian; and solicitor Robert L. Marks, Esq.
About Geisinger
Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the non-profit system generates $10 billion in annual revenues across 134 care sites - including 10 hospital campuses, and Geisinger Health Plan, with 600,000 members in commercial and government plans. The Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and conducts more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With 26,000 employees, including 1,600 employed physicians, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers with an estimated economic impact of $14 billion to the state’s economy. On March 31, 2024, Geisinger became the first member of Risant Health, a new nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country. Learn more at geisinger.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.