Penn State Milton S. Hershey (Pa.) Medical Center CEO Craig Hillemeier, MD, said the medical center is actively pursuing plans to "expand inpatient and outpatient access to care," according to Lancaster Online.
In an email to employees last week, Dr. Hillemeier said the Penn State Hershey's immediate priorities include increasing the medical center's capacity for outpatient surgeries through an expansion or construction of a new facility and finalizing construction plans to build an additional three floors to its affiliated children's hospital as part of the building's original design, according to the report.
Dr. Hillemeier also confirmed the medical center continues to "actively explore opportunities for growth and innovation … with other organizations that share [it's] vision." Most recently, Penn State Hershey signed an academic partnership agreement with Chambersburg, Pa.-based Summit Health in January.
His comments come roughly one week after Harrisburg, Pa.-based PinnacleHealth System declared plans to acquire four hospitals from Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems and to pursue a merger agreement with Pittsburgh-based UPMC.
Penn State Hershey and PinnacleHealth announced plans to merge in June 15, but called off the merger in October 2016 after an appeals court granted the Federal Trade Commission an temporary injunction to halt the merger due to antitrust concerns.
To read Dr. Hillemeier's full letter to the medical staff, click here.