The LG Experience

Since I arrived at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health in early March, I’ve devoted most of my time to listening and learning from you.

Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health received the 2021 Health Literacy Award from the Institute for Healthcare Advancement (IHA) in the published materials category.

On March 12, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health recognized the 2,000th COVID-19 patient discharged from Lancaster General Hospital (LGH).

Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital has again achieved the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet designation.

Get to know more about John J. Herman, MBA, FACHE, CEO, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health.

The Vaccinate Lancaster Coalition, led by Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health and Lancaster County Government, opened a public COVID-19 vaccination center March 10.

Construction of the Proton Center at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health’s Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute (Cancer Institute) reached an important milestone Jan. 16 with the arrival and installation of a 220-ton cyclotron, which will be used to treat patients with advanced radiation therapy.

Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health Cervical Cancer and Prevention Program is now offering free human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines to reduce cervical cancer incidences among uninsured and underinsured patients in our community.

BreatheBetterTogether (BBT) is a transition-to-home program that aims to reduce readmissions in patients who are hospitalized for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations.

John J. Herman, an experienced health care leader who is committed to healthy communities, has joined LG Health as chief executive officer, effective March 1, 2021.

Caring for patients with COVID-19 requires a team effort.

As I approach the end of my tenure as President and CEO, I have spent a great deal of time reflecting on the successes and challenges of my many years at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health.

Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health’s Child Life program is sustained through donations from the community.

LG Health’s Blood Donor Center hosted the Bleed Blue Challenge, a blood donation competition organized by local police departments, from January 4 to 29.

On Nov. 23, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health launched a self-serve food pantry to support employees and their families.

Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health continues to lead efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Lancaster County through contact tracing and testing.

For more than 20 years, LG Health Physicians Comprehensive Care has been a trusted place in the community for patients with HIV/AIDS to receive high-quality, compassionate care.

Nurse anesthetists and surgical techs at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital recently joined the team of ICU nurses and respiratory therapists performing pronation therapy on critically ill COVID-19 patients in the ICU and Neuro/Trauma Unit.

Joseph Kontra, MD, chief of Infectious Diseases at Lancaster General Hospital, was the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at the hospital December 17.

The winners of Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health’s 2020 CEO Award

Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health is supporting the youngest victims of the opioid crisis in Lancaster County through Joining Forces for Children, the community coalition it launched nearly a year ago with funding from a federal grant.

Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health created a $1.2M endowment fund in conjunction with the LG Health Foundation to help ensure that no patient will miss out on necessary breast screenings or care due to an inability to pay.

The World Health Organization designated 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife, in honor of the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth.

Each year, the Nightingale Awards of Pennsylvania honor exceptional nurses practicing in the Commonwealth.

Dorcas Cyster, BSN, RN, a supervisor for Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health’s Healthy Beginnings Plus program, was one of four women honored on Nov. 6 at a virtual luncheon for the YWCA Women of Achievement Award.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all of our lives in ways we never could have expected. One of the greatest impacts has been on how we connect with our family, friends, colleagues and other important people in our lives.

For the second consecutive year, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health was awarded the “LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Leader” designation from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC).

Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health has strengthened its commitment to actively addressing all forms of racism and bias that may exist within the organization, and has started by forming a Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Committee under the leadership of Larry Strassner, chief nursing officer, and Cherise Hamblin, MD, an OB-GYN physician with LG Health Physicians Family & Maternity Medicine.

After a pause during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, construction on the new Proton Center at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health’s Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute has resumed.

On Oct. 19, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health opened Penn Fertility Care—Lancaster General Health.

Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health has been engaged in strategic planning for decades, and I am pleased to share that we recently finalized our plan for fiscal years 2021 to 2025.

Every baby born at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health’s Women & Babies Hospital now receives the gift of a new book, thanks to a project conceived and coordinated by Barbara Schmidt, BSN, RNC-MNN, Couplet Care nurse.

Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health employees and Medical & Dental Staff members are encouraged to apply for grants to support their community outreach activities.

A new national effort to increase clinical trial participation by minority populations is being co-led by Randall Oyer, MD, medical director of Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health’s Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute, and Lori Pierce, MD, president of the Association of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

When Theresa Timbario and her husband moved to Lancaster County to be near family, they never anticipated that within a year she would be facing breast cancer, much less a global pandemic.

Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health lost a beloved colleague and friend Aug. 5, 2020, with the sudden passing of Ronald Vincent Krak, MD, age 62.

On Aug. 19, two chaplains from Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital were each presented with a certificate and an “I am Gift of Life” Challenge Coin in recognition for the support they provided to a family who generously consented to organ donation on behalf of their loved one, who was dying.

Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health has expanded community access to opioid addiction treatment to more than a dozen primary-care offices throughout Lancaster County.

Representatives from the Lions Club District 14-D Lancaster-Lebanon Counties presented the Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health Foundation with two generous checks in July.

Words of appreciation can significantly influence our well-being—both when we hear them and when we say them to others.

For the 13 LG Health Family Medicine Residents who graduated in June, the last four months of their training took a dramatic turn with the COVID-19 pandemic. Their experience is sure to make them better doctors.

The last several months have tested us both as health-care professionals and as human beings. Despite the challenges we continue to face, it’s very important that we prioritize the health of ourselves and our families.

As the leading health-care provider in Lancaster County, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health takes its responsibility to protect the health and safety of our community very seriously.

For patients across the country, seeking health care during the COVID-19 pandemic can be an anxiety-filled proposition. In many cases, it’s also a necessity.

At noon Wednesday, June 10, employees and leaders of Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health came together to kneel silently for eight minutes, 46 seconds in remembrance of those who have been victims of racism.

As Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health resumed patient services at Lancaster General Hospital and other locations in late spring, the health and safety of our patients, staff and community remained the highest priority.

You’ve just tested positive for COVID-19. What happens next?

At first, Peg Scholl blamed her sneezing and runny nose on allergies. When her symptoms worsened to include a headache, fever and back pain, she called her doctor, who sent her to be tested for COVID-19.

I have often thought that there is no better time to evaluate an organization’s competencies and culture than during an emergency. Our true colors shine through when we are tested.

May 31, 2020 marked the 10th anniversary of Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health opening its first Urgent Care in the community, on Rohrerstown Road in Lancaster.

During the initial local increase of COVID-19 in March, while families were just learning to navigate their new circumstances, the leadership team at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health repeatedly heard one message from the community: What can we do? We want to help.

Before COVID-19, a Lancaster General Hospital chaplain resident would typically spend time bedside, holding the patient’s hand, sharing a hug, listening and offering counsel.

Within a week of Pennsylvania schools and businesses closing in response to coronavirus, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health opened its first COVID-19 testing site.

Throughout 2020, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health’s Women & Babies Hospital will honor its employees with small treats, activities and giveaways in celebration of the hospital’s 20th anniversary on June 29.

Each spring, graduating medical students across the country eagerly anticipate Match Day — the day they learn where they will be doing their residency programs.

As I write this column, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to challenge all of us at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health in unprecedented ways.

In recent weeks, the health system has implemented various operational and clinical changes to ensure overall preparedness as the COVID-19 pandemic began to impact the local community.

The Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health Community Outreach Council has collected winter-related clothing items for those in need for the last four years.

When Kelly Slovak and Jamie Adams found out they were expecting a February baby, Adams’ first thought was, “How cool would it be if he was born on Leap Day? That would be really unique.”

Alicia Jensen, BSN, Cardiology, was recently inducted into the Penn Medicine Nurse Clinician Academy. Jensen works on 6 East/West at Lancaster General Hospital.

I think we all can agree that there is nothing more important than ensuring that we eliminate the possibility of harm to our patients. To truly accomplish this, we must continue to focus on continuous improvement, building a culture of safety and becoming a highly reliable organization.

Lancaster County Children’s Alliance (LCCA), supported by Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, is the county’s only child advocacy center that coordinates the investigation, the prosecution and most importantly, the treatment of child sexual abuse, opened a new location in Lancaster City in late January.

Each quarter, the Penn Medicine CAREs Grant program invites LG Health employees and Medical & Dental Staff members to apply for grants on behalf of a not-for-profit organization for which they volunteer.

LG Health partnered with The Center for Traffic Safety, Safe Kids Lancaster County and the Manheim Township Police Department to donate car seats for child passenger transportation to Lancaster County police departments.

Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health’s mission extends beyond providing high-quality health care as it focuses on addressing the various social determinants of health.

You have so many great ideas. But making those ideas a reality isn’t always easy.

In 2010 Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health opened its first Urgent Care location to increase access to care for patients who may not be able to see their primary-care physician or have a pressing need for care but do not need to visit the Emergency Department.

Since the beginning of time, people have built strong connections by sharing stories. As part of December’s Department of Medicine Grand Rounds “LGH Story SlamJam,” seven LG Health physicians did just that.

Year after year, Penn Medicine LG Health employees come together to bring holiday cheer to their colleagues through the Spirit of Giving program.

When Scott Sweigart Kevin Adams, and Chris George arrived at work on Aug. 26, their morning began like any other day in their department, which services and maintain the various equipment used throughout Lancaster General Hospital.

As a customer service specialist at LGHP Family Medicine Twin Rose, Bridget Siegrist checks in patients prior to their appointment and, over time, gets to know many of them on a first-name basis.

I think we all can agree that there is nothing more important than ensuring that we eliminate the possibility of harm to our patients. To truly accomplish this, we must continue to focus on continuous improvement, building a culture of safety and becoming a highly reliable organization.

I think we all can agree that there is nothing more important than ensuring that we eliminate the possibility of harm to our patients. To truly accomplish this, we must continue to focus on continuous improvement, building a culture of safety and becoming a highly reliable organization.

Six years after the Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute opened, a $48 million expansion to provide additional cancer services is underway.

LG Health offers Healthy Beginnings Plus, a free program for expectant mothers who are eligible for Medical Assistance.

Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health launched a new role in August that is focused on the coordination of care for the patient with sepsis.

Kathy Haines, RN, Centralized Monitoring Unit, and Eva Lenker, RN, Behavioral Health Emergency, presented at the American Psychiatric Nurses Association 33rd Annual Conference in October in New Orleans, Louisiana.

To inspire connection and bonding between parents and their babies, the NICU at Women & Babies Hospital recently introduced a new program focused on infant development through reading.

ChildProtect, a free immunization outreach program, was established in 1991 as an emergency response to a German measles outbreak in the Amish community.

Each year, 1.4 million Americans experience a traumatic brain injury (TBI), requiring many to undergo extensive medical treatment and long-term rehabilitation.

Each quarter, the Penn Medicine CAREs Grant program invites LG Health employees and Medical & Dental Staff members to apply for grants on behalf of a not-for-profit organization for which they volunteer or their individual volunteer efforts.

Together, LG Health employees contributed $193,700 to the 2019 United Way campaign. LG Health matched 50 percent of all employee donations with a $96,850-corporate contribution to United Way of Lancaster County.

I think we all can agree that there is nothing more important than ensuring that we eliminate the possibility of harm to our patients. To truly accomplish this, we must continue to focus on continuous improvement, building a culture of safety and becoming a highly reliable organization.

It’s difficult to imagine a more heartbreaking situation: Your teenage son or daughter requires hospitalization for a behavioral health crisis, and the closest inpatient treatment facility is located hours away from home.

On Aug. 7 Denny Burk surprised staff and his partner, Vicki Zuercher, by asking her to marry him at the Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute Infusion Center as he completed his fourth cycle of chemotherapy.

In the past half-century, 523 physicians have graduated from the Lancaster General Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program.

After Rod Martin, LG Health Mended Hearts program volunteer, had heart surgery, he searched for ways to connect with others whose lives had been impacted by a heart-related surgery.

Teams throughout LG Health have implemented various strategies to help meet the growing needs of patients visiting the Emergency Department.

Lancaster General Hospital’s newest unit is a space uniquely designed for children and families. The 20,000-square-foot. Seraph-McSparren Pediatric Inpatient Center, located in the Frederick Building, began welcoming patients in late September.

Throughout Lancaster General Health, one similarity that can be found in every department is a huddle board. As teams gather around their respective huddle board, goals are discussed, ideas are shared and concerns are addressed.

Staying well is about much more than doctor’s appointments and medications.

The Lancaster General Hospital Emergency Department team recently went above the call of duty to help fill a basic need of many of their patients by hosting a blood drive.

Lancaster General Hospital recently received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines® Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus Gold Quality Achievement Award.

LG Health recently recognized physicians and advanced practice providers for delivering excellent patient care and long-term commitment to the organization.

To honor her late mother-in-law, Barbara, Angela Allison (second from right) worked alongside her mother, Annette Berkley to create a colorful quilt that represents the rich fabric of our community and those that come together to offer support in times of need.

Nearly one in 10 infants in Lancaster County are born prematurely, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Many of these babies require care in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to ensure specialized care and treatment.

LG Health has a rich culture of Continuous Improvement which is the result of a collective effort from leaders, employees and the community.

LG Health was selected as one of the American Academy of PAs’ Center for Healthcare Leadership and Management’s winners of the 2019-2020 Employer of Excellence Awards.