Highmark to Invest $20M in West Penn Allegheny's Forbes Hospital

Pittsburgh-based Highmark will spend $20 million to renovate a hospital within the West Penn Allegheny Health System that is located in the same suburb where rival UPMC is opening a hospital in July, according to a Pittsburgh-Tribune Review report.

The work at 350-bed Forbes Regional Hospital in Monroeville, Pa., is part of Highmark's $475 million acquisition of West Penn Allegheny. The renovation plans are intended to distinguish the hospital from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's new $240 million facility across town.

Upgrades include renovations to two floors of medical and surgical units, a new breast care center, the addition of a third operating room for heart procedures and updated waiting areas.

In addition to the hospital renovations, Highmark also announced plans to build an ambulatory surgery center in the Monroeville area, one of 10 ASCs it plans to build in western Pennsylvania.

The affiliation between Highmark and West Penn Allegheny still needs regulatory approval, which could take up to one year or longer, according to the report. Highmark CEO Kenneth Melani, MD, has said a year is too long. Highmark officials are planning to meet with officials from the state insurance department to urge an expedited review within the next six months.

Related Articles on West Penn Allegheny and Highmark:

District Court Judge Orders Details of West Penn-Highmark Deal Be Made Public
UPMC CEO: "I Don't Believe Highmark Can Save West Penn Allegheny"
Highmark to Pay $300M in Loans to Acquire West Penn Allegheny in Pittsburgh


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