Evangelical Community Hospital Selects Geisinger as Strategic Partner

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Evangelical Community Hospital announced today that it has selected Geisinger as its strategic partner to expand services, enhance quality and ease access to care.  Evangelical will remain independent under the terms of the deal.

“This new and unique partnership will serve to strengthen the extraordinary level of care already afforded to this region while preserving our ability to guide our own destiny,” said Kendra Aucker, President and CEO of Evangelical. “Geisinger will make a capital investment in Evangelical and Evangelical will work with Geisinger to make healthcare delivery in our region more efficient, cost-effective, and simply better for the patients we serve.”

Together, the two organizations will invest $265 million over the next five years to enhance the health of the communities they serve in central Pennsylvania. Evangelical will begin to transition to a single information technology platform and leverage Geisinger’s business and operating systems. In exchange, Geisinger Health Plan members will have access to Evangelical at lower out-of-pocket costs. Evangelical and Geisinger also plan to develop clinical programs together to improve the health of the populations in Union, Snyder, Lycoming and Northumberland counties.  

“Evangelical is an outstanding organization and we have a long history of collaboration built on a foundation of shared values,” said Dr. David Feinberg, President and CEO of Geisinger. “What we are announcing today strengthens the way care is delivered in the communities we both serve. It keeps care close to home and makes it easier for more patients to access the outstanding health care already available here in central Pennsylvania.”

The decision comes after a year-long, competitive process by Evangelical to determine how to best serve the health care needs of the community in the face of increasing challenges. After exploring a variety of models and discussions with multiple potential partners, the Evangelical’s Board of Directors selected a partnership with Geisinger. Final terms of the deal will be completed by the end of the year.

Evangelical and Geisinger have a long history of collaboration, including the participation in the Keystone ACO, KeyHIE, and a variety of clinical programs including oncology and pediatrics.

About Evangelical
Evangelical is a non-profit organization that employs over 1,800 individuals and has more than 170 employed and non-employed physicians on staff. The Hospital is licensed to accommodate 132 overnight patients, 12 acute rehab patients, and 18 bassinets. The Hospital serves residents throughout the Central Susquehanna Valley, including those living in Snyder, Union, Northumberland, and Lycoming counties.

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.