Affiliation with UPMC Ensures WHS Will Be Caring for Local Residents for Years

By Andrew Wilson

Washington Health System’s (WHS) mission of providing Great Patient Care close to home began in 1897 as a single entity providing healthcare services and medical training. Since that humble beginning, WHS has grown into Washington County’s largest employer with 2,700 employees at more than 40 locations across the region.

While this is an inspiring story of a great health system that has always strived to meet the healthcare needs of residents of Washington and Greene counties through innovative care provided by skilled professionals, but WHS is not immune to the challenges being faced by rural hospitals across the country.

According to the Pittsburgh-based Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, more than 150 rural hospitals closed between 2005 and 2019, and an additional 600 rural hospitals nationwide are at risk of closing due to financial pressures. In Pennsylvania, approximately 27 percent of rural hospitals are at risk due to declining patient volumes, increased overhead costs, and reduced government reimbursement for healthcare services.

After facing years of similar budget issues, WHS and its Board of Directors decided it was time to make a change that would enable the system to continue providing the best care for its patients for many years while also securing a rewarding future for its employees.

To accomplish this goal, the Board asked several regional healthcare providers to submit proposals to affiliate with WHS in 2022 and 2023. As an existing partner of more than a decade with WHS-UPMC shared specialty services for women’s, children’s and cancer care delivered within our communities, UPMC emerged as the best partner to help WHS maintain and enhance local healthcare services.

Through this partnership, in addition to preserving the health and vitality of WHS, UPMC has committed to maintain The Washington Hospital as an inpatient acute care general hospital and core services such as emergency care, diagnostics, ambulatory and primary care in Greene County for at least 10 years. This includes a $300 million investment commitment over the next 10 years to enhance current – or create new – offerings at WHS that could attract more jobs and businesses to the region, while increasing the number of patients seeking high-quality medical care in Washington and Greene counties.

That last point is significant. The impact of WHS on the communities that surround it, and that it serves, cannot be overstated. Its outsized positive economic effects are tangible. According to the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP), Washington Health System brought $270 million of direct benefit to the state’s economy in 2022.

Those are hard dollars that provide jobs not just for WHS employees, but also local businesses that interact with WHS. In addition, exceptional healthcare attracts new talent to the community and helps generate and sustain vibrant and economically active communities. When added to the $270 million direct benefit projected by HAP, the trickle-down financial effects of WHS in 2022 were estimated to total a staggering $256 million dollars. That renders the total economic benefit of the system – that year – to well over $500 million dollars.

The economic impact is not the primary reason for this affiliation, however. This affiliation will be good for patients, ensuring local access to care and maintaining and possibly expanding services available at WHS. That is good news for the community, who depend on access to top notch healthcare services, and it is good news for the employees who can keep their job while continuing to serve the people of Washington and Greene counties.

The benefits of WHS’ decision to affiliate with UPMC are clear, and WHS remains dedicated to sustaining the highest level of care that local patients expect and deserve. The regulatory approval process is still ongoing, but WHS is hopeful that it will be completed as soon as possible. In the meantime, the best news is what the affiliation with UPMC will mean for WHS.

“Our affiliation with UPMC will ensure that when you – our patients and community partners – need us, we’ll be there for you. Just as we are now,” Brook Ward, President & CEO of Washington Health System. “We’re taking action to keep that mission, now and for many years to come.”

Visit healthcaretogether.org for more information and to receive updates on this important process.