Evangelical and Geisinger Announce Joint Venture Focused on Well-Being and Health

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Evangelical Community Hospital, Geisinger, the Miller Center for Recreation and Wellness, and the Greater Susquehanna Valley YMCA have come together to make a positive, lasting impact on the health and wellness of the region.

Evangelical and Geisinger will form their first joint venture at the Miller Center. The center will be transferred to the joint venture by the Miller family, who generously provided the funds to found it. The YMCA will be contracted to run the day-to-day operations. The joint venture will acquire an additional six acres around the facility to expand parking, make room for two new pools—one for competition and one for general aquatics—and create an enhanced childcare area for afterschool care and more. 

The new entity will be known as the YMCA at the Miller Center, powered by Evangelical and Geisinger.

“Together, we will truly change the face of health, recreation, and wellness in this region,” said Kendra Aucker, President and CEO of Evangelical Community Hospital. “This coming together is a realization that we can accomplish something more than each entity could do on its own.”

Clinical medicine, healthy lifestyle, and overall physical wellness are well-matched and can reap benefits for everyone of all ages.

“We know that when we can keep people healthy and out of the hospital, healthcare works better for everyone,” said Jaewon Ryu, MD, JD, President and CEO of Geisinger. “With healthier communities, we free up our emergency departments and clinics, which allows our specialists to better focus on those patients who need their expertise.”

The YMCA will handle the overall management of the facility, with all existing Miller Center employees retained as YMCA or Evangelical employees. Membership and programming from the YMCA Express in Lewisburg will merge at the Miller Center.

“From the inception of the idea to build the center almost 7 years ago, the vision for the Miller Center has always been to create a wellness hub for the community,” said Matt Miller, representative of the Miller Family who was integral in getting the Center going. “Today is special because it is a realization of that vision. This strategic partnership will ensure continued focus on wellness and recreation to improve the well-being of the region.”

Bonnie McDowell, CEO of the Greater Susquehanna Valley YMCA, said, “We already have set our sights on bringing full scale aquatics and childcare programming here in Lewisburg. Our next task is to raise sufficient funds to make that a reality. We have a head start, but there is work ahead to ensure we engage the entire community to finish this campaign.”

“At the Y, strengthening community is our cause. Every day, we work side-by-side with our neighbors to make sure that everyone, regardless of age, income or background, has the opportunity learn, grow, and thrive.”

By coming together in one facility, the four organizations will be able to offer comprehensive and affordable wellness and recreation programs for all generations in the heart of the community.

About Evangelical
Evangelical is a non-profit organization that employs 1,900 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.