Geisinger and Jersey Shore announce planned integration

JERSEY SHORE, Pa. – Geisinger and Jersey Shore Hospital and Foundation announced today the signing of an agreement, upon regulatory approval, to integrate Jersey Shore Hospital and Foundation into Geisinger. The regulatory review is expected to take a few months to complete.

“In today’s challenging healthcare environment, it is extremely difficult for small, independent facilities to thrive without becoming part of a larger organization,” said Jersey Shore Hospital President and Chief Executive Officer David A. Shannon. “That we could do so for so long is due in large part to the hard work and dedication of our employees and medical staff. Now, with Geisinger, we believe we have a larger health system that shares our commitment to putting patients first and ensuring local access to quality care.”

“Everything we do is about caring, and we have a long history of caring for patients in north-central Pennsylvania,” said Geisinger President and Chief Executive Officer David Feinberg, M.D., MBA. “Integrating Jersey Shore Hospital into our organization is part of our strategic growth plan to expand our long-standing commitment to patients and communities in this region.”

In addition to the Jersey Shore planned integration, earlier this month Geisinger announced the signing of a letter of intent with Highmark to create a clinical joint venture to provide high-value, high-quality community-based care and greater patient choice for health consumers and businesses in north central Pennsylvania. 

Designated as a Critical Access Hospital by the State of Pennsylvania and the Medicare program, Jersey Shore Hospital provides inpatient acute, emergency, outpatient and sub-acute care. For the past three years, the hospital has made bariatric and vascular clinic services available on the local level. Earlier this year, the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health recognized Jersey Shore Hospital for excellence in patient satisfaction and outcomes.

“Our goal is to achieve financial security and sustainability, preserve local jobs, and build a strong base of engaged medical providers while maintaining our community and patient-centered focus,” said Sean Simcox, Jersey Shore Hospital Board Chair. “We are pleased to move forward with Geisinger to preserve and enhance health care in our community.”

“We have done well with integrating small community hospitals in Bloomsburg, Shamokin, and Lewistown into the Geisinger family, and we are excited about this opportunity to work together to enhance care, expand population health, provide value, and promote healthy communities in the Jersey Shore area through this planned integration,” said Geisinger Central Hub Chief Administrative Officer Thomas Sokola.

Geisinger has operated physician offices in Clinton county since 1986 and Lycoming County since 1994. 


About Geisinger
Geisinger is an integrated health services organization widely recognized for its innovative use of the electronic health record and the development of innovative care delivery models such as ProvenHealth Navigator®, ProvenCare® and ProvenExperience®. As one of the nation’s largest health service organizations, Geisinger serves more than 3 million residents throughout 45 counties in central, south-central and northeast Pennsylvania, and also in southern New Jersey at AtlantiCare, a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient. In 2017, the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and Geisinger Jersey Shore Hospital became the newest members of the Geisinger Family. The physician-led system is comprised of approximately 30,000 employees, including nearly 1,600 employed physicians, 13 hospital campuses, two research centers, and a 583,000-member health plan, all of which leverage an estimated $12.7 billion positive impact on the Pennsylvania and New Jersey economies. Geisinger has 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.

About Jersey Shore Hospital
Founded in 1911 and located in Western Lycoming County, Jersey Shore Hospital is a Joint Commission accredited 25-bed Critical Access Hospital providing a wide range of inpatient, outpatient and sub-acute health care services, including an urgent care center. Jersey Shore Hospital is affiliated with the Jersey Shore Medical Associates (JSMA), a multi-specialty physician practice group that has collaborated with Jersey Shore Hospital for over 20 years. The staff and physicians offer advanced healthcare by giving a personal touch to their patients. Conveniently located throughout Clinton and Lycoming counties (Avis, Lock Haven and Jersey Shore, PA), JSMA conveys advanced personalized health care, with easily accessible same-day appointments. With $70 million in revenues and 300 employees, Jersey Shore Hospital has maintained a remarkable reputation for providing compassionate care in a family-like atmosphere. The vision of its founders has not been forgotten as Jersey Shore Hospital continues to provide high-quality healthcare with state-of-the-art technology and skilled professionals to a rural service area of 45,000 in Clinton and Lycoming Counties.  For more information, visit www.jsh.org or follow the latest JSH news on Facebook.

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