Regional health system has expanded services throughout northern and eastern Lancaster County
WellSpan Health and WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital are celebrating five years together with the opening of the expanded Center for Women’s Health at the hospital’s Ephrata Health Pavilion.
Ephrata Community Hospital and its affiliated physicians and care locations officially became part of WellSpan Health on Oct. 1, 2013. In the five years since, WellSpan has dramatically increased health care services throughout northern and eastern Lancaster County.
The opening of the expanded Center for Women’s Health is among the regional health system’s latest investments in the county. It features comprehensive health services for women of all ages, including WellSpan Maternal-Fetal Medicine, which provides care for women experiencing high-risk pregnancies; WellSpan Urogynecology & Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery, which diagnoses and treats pelvic floor disorders; and WellSpan Gynecologic Oncology, which provides evaluation, treatment and surgery for women with high-risk gynecologic problems and cancers. All three practices relocated from their previous locations in Brownstown.
The Center for Women’s Health also features offices for WellSpan OB/GYN and women’s imaging services, including ultrasound, 3D mammography, stereotactic breast biopsy and bone density. With the addition of the newly relocated specialty practices, the Center for Women’s Health now offers a wide range of women’s health care resources in one convenient location.
The expanded access to local comprehensive women’s services is just one example of the growth and expansion of health care services in northern Lancaster County since Ephrata Community Hospital joined WellSpan five years ago.
“This has been an exciting time for WellSpan and we are not finished growing,” said Carrie Willetts, senior vice president of WellSpan Health and WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital. “We are always looking for better ways to serve our patients where they work, live and play, by providing services that will enhance their lives.”
Over the first five years of the affiliation, WellSpan also has:
- Opened WellSpan Urgent Care near Lititz, to provide non-emergency care for patients in a convenient location, seven days a week.
- Added minimally invasive, robotic-assisted surgery, which offers shorter hospital stays and a faster recovery to patients at the hospital.
- Added interventional cardiology services and expanded its cardiology practice.
- Completed a $47 million expansion of its Health Pavilion, which added a larger surgical suite with 10 new state-of-the-art ORs and expanded physician and administrative offices.
- Opened a new hospital behavioral health unit with WellSpan Philhaven, which provides care for patients with complex medical needs and those who need a longer stay in a behavioral health unit.
- Added full-time behavioral health clinicians to its emergency department.
- Expanded specialty services, adding a neurology practice that includes a pediatric neurologist and a dental sleep specialist to its affiliated physician practices.
- Added 3D mammography services.
- Added a total joint program and in the process of adding a spine program at the hospital.
- Made its system easier for patients to use by offering the MyWellSpan portal, which allows patients to schedule appointments, view test results and communicate with clinicians.
- Adopted an electronic health record system.
- Opened a new WellSpan Pharmacy at its Ephrata hospital campus.
- Formed a new philanthropic foundation, the Ephrata Community Health Foundation, to cultivate local relationships and raise funds to address the health needs of Lancaster County.
- Added a Cancer Patient Help Fund, to assist cancer patients with non-medical expenses.
- Supported and worked with community partners on projects such as the Healthy Day in the Park event and the Northern Lancaster County Hub, a community wellness and social services resource that will operate out of two locations.
“We’re honored to serve the people of Lancaster County through our growing, comprehensive network of local, community-based physicians, clinicians and care locations,” said Kevin Mosser, MD, president and chief executive officer of WellSpan Health. “WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital is a community asset that provides exceptional care for all who need it in the community.
“Whether you need care in our hospital – or you’re seeking care at one of our convenient physician practices, our WellSpan Philhaven behavioral health locations, or our urgent care centers – our goal is to provide the best possible experience to every patient, every time. That was our commitment five years ago, and that remains our commitment today.”
About WellSpan Health
WellSpan Health is an integrated health system that serves the communities of central Pennsylvania and northern Maryland. The organization is comprised of a multispecialty medical group of more than 1,200 physicians and advanced practice clinicians, a regional behavioral health organization, a home care organization, six respected hospitals, more than 15,000 employees, and more than 140 patient care locations. WellSpan is a charitable, mission-driven organization, committed to exceptional care for all, lifelong wellness and healthy communities.