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Sunday, January 26, 1997 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





Geisinger-Hershey merger positions area for healthy future &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Those of us who live and conduct business in Pennsylvania have been
fortunate to have some of the best health care in the nationIn the face of
change we won't give up that standard. As the board chair of Geisinger, I
measure any change against these criteria: Will it preserve what we already
have, and will it make it better? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Geisinger Board is certain that the merger of Geisinger and Penn
State's Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, which was recently announced, will
not only preserve but improve upon what's best about health care in
Pennsylvania. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The creation of The Penn State Geisinger Health System will: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 make it easier for people to use a broader range of medical services, from
family physicians and rural clinics to the most advanced specialists, without
leaving Pennsylvania; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 provide consumers and employers with more choices. In the Geisinger area
we'll have easier access to the resources of a second outstanding academic
medical center, and people in the Hershey area can choose our managed health
care plan; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 help reduce costs while enhancing quality and service; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 give patients the benefits of the latest research advances; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 keep doctors serving rural areas; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 protect the public interest in supporting medical education and research,
which are becoming more difficult to fund as health care costs are cut. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 This merger brings more choices and more resources to the people who have
looked to Geisinger and our 70 clinics in the cities and rural areas of
Northeastern Pennsylvania. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 This merger also will create a patient base large enough to support the
ongoing research and education efforts that provide the medical breakthroughs
of the future and the physicians who will treat coming g~enerations. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Our philosophy at Geisinger has been to bring physicians to the communities
they serve. That's why we have 70 clinics in Northeastern Pennsylvania. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Hershey Medical Center educates physicians who understand the needs of
Pennsylvanians -- many of whom stay here to practice in our cities and rural
areas. Across the country, its difficult for small towns to attract doctors.
That is not the case here. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 This merger will also help us cut costs, and that's crucial for all of us
who pay for healthcare coverage. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Geisinger and Hershey Medical Center have been implementing cost cutting
measures over the past several years, and this merger will help us meet our
cumulative goals of cutting $105 million over the next three years. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Our physicians and employees will work together with our administration to
identify how to increase efficiency and eliminate duplication while preserving
the quality of care. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But too many healthcare organizations are focusing on cost alone, and
that's shortsighted. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Denying care or making care harder to get only means larger and more
expensive health problems down the road. If cost alone drives change, we'll
all suffer. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The advances that this merger will bring about will mean increased
stability for this new health system in the rapidly changing realm of
healthcare, and that's good news for our employees. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Our CEO, Dr. Stuart Heydt, projects that in a few years, most healthcare in
Pennsylvania will be provided by four or five large healthcare systems. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 This merger ensures that a Pennsylvania-based, not-for-profit system led by
doctors will be one of them. And that's good news for all of us. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 When change is guided by people who live and work in our communities, it
will result in healthcare that better meets our needs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That's what the new Penn State Geisinger Health System will do. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Frank M. Henry &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Chairman, Board of directors &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Geisinger Wyoming Valley &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Medical Center &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Wilkes-Barre &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Geisinger-hershey Merger Positions Area For Healthy Future 
Those Of Us Who Live And Conduct Business In Pennsylvania Have Been Fortunate 
To Have Some Of The Best Health Care In The Nation.

Geisinger-hershey Merger Positions Area For Healthy Future Those Of Us Who Live And Conduct Business In Pennsylvania Have Been Fortunate To Have Some Of The Best Health Care In The Nation.