Lancaster Physician Winter 2018 - 23

winter 2018

Perspectives
JAN bergen

PHILLIP W. GUARNESCHELLI

CARRIE willets
PHILIP W. GUARNESCHELLI - President and CEO, UPMC Pinnacle; CARRIE WILLETS - WellSpan Senior Vice President, WellSpan Health/President, WellSpan
Ephrata Community Hospital; and JAN BERGEN - CEO Lancaster General Health, responded.

What are THE three primary
strengths OF THE health care
environment in Lancaster
County?
Philip Guarneschelli replied:
Lancaster County benefits from engaged
employers and businesses that are willing
to partner with health care organizations
to drive changes and focus on economic
development and workforce development.
Strong employment and education are linked
to good health and health literacy.
The county also benefits from the great
teams at our newest hospitals, UPMC Lancaster and UPMC Lititz, and the reliable and
skilled employed and independent physician
practices in the area. These facilitate excellent
relationships with health systems that offer
an "open staff" model.
The third strength I'll mention is that
patients have access to a wide breadth of
services. In addition to primary care, also
easily accessible are orthopedics, general
surgery, and cardiac surgery.
Carrie Willets replied:
We are fortunate that Lancaster County is
served by three strong health systems; a highly
skilled and engaged community of medical
professionals; and access to integrated systems
of care, such as WellSpan Health. With four
acute care hospitals, a broad array of outpatient
health centers and a well-dispersed complement
of primary care and specialty physician offices,
patients and their families have access to great
quality health care close to home.

But, just as important to receiving care
near home is ensuring that the care delivered
is comprehensive, integrated and coordinated. An integrated approach to care links a
strong network of programs and services
beyond the acute care hospital setting. This
helps to provide high-quality health care
while lowering the cost of care. The best
health care systems coordinate to reduce
duplication and fragmentation, promote
teamwork, and share best practices.
Jan Bergen replied:
Lancaster County has a long history of
focusing resources on health care for its
residents, and currently offers a range of
sophisticated medical resources. Lancaster
General Hospital marks its 125th anniversary
this year. That's a remarkable milestone,
considering that the county's population
in the 1890s was less than a third of
today's number. Nevertheless, even then
the community had the foresight to found
a hospital that would support the area and
help it grow.
Since that time, Lancaster County has
continued to invest in health care so that,
today, we have multiple acute care and specialty hospitals, extensive clinical research
offerings, and a robust outreach that extends
health services to community members who
are in need.
Our medical education programs at the
Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences
enable us to train thousands of individuals
in a variety of health care careers, providing
the region with talent that most communities

LANCASTER

PHYSICIAN

struggle to attract. Awards such as our Magnet Nursing designation reveal that we are
among the best in the nation.
Part of that excellence, and a key element
in the strength of the health care we offer, is
LG Health's commitment to primary care.
Our Family Practice Medical Residency
program is among the first of its kind in the
nation. We are a leading educator of Family
Practice physicians, a specialty taking on
increased significance as the nation focuses
on population health and other strategies that
seek to better prevent and manage disease.
Our emphasis on primary care and family
medicine enables us to attract health care
professionals to our community to learn.
Many of them leave to practice elsewhere,
but many stay here in Lancaster to pursue
careers and raise families, which is a tremendous benefit to county residents.
What are THE three most
significant health care
challenges facing our
communities?
Philip Guarneschelli replied:
Obesity and chronic disease continue
to be the biggest challenges, along with
sedentary tendencies. Obesity-related
illnesses include coronary artery disease,
stroke, and sleep apnea. When these and
other chronic illnesses such as asthma,
diabetes, and high blood pressure are not
Continued on page 24

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Lancaster Physician Winter 2018