It’s Official: WHS Is Now UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene

By Andrew Wilson

There were broad smiles and lots of emotions at the press conference on June 12, when Washington Health System (WHS) officially became the newest addition to UPMC’s health network as UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene.  

“I am extremely pleased that our hospitals, outpatient centers, and physician offices have joined one of the nation’s largest and most successful integrated health care providers and insurers,” said Brook Ward, president of UPMC Washington.  “This affiliation not only guarantees local access to health care services for community members, but it also preserves jobs.

WHS was one of the largest employers in Washington County with more than 2,700 employees.  All of those employees are now part of UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene.

“It was a long time coming, but Washington Health System is now part of the UPMC family,” said Leslie C. Davis, president and CEO of UPMC, at the press conference on June 12.  “Throughout this process, it has been clear how deeply you care. We will proceed with the same tenacity and fervor, and we are committed to keeping health care local, and will grow UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene.”

UPMC has committed to invest at least $300 million over 10 years to enhance clinical services and upgrade facilities at UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene. These investments by UPMC, combined with contributions the WHS Foundation has made and will continue to make, ensures UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene can provide state-of-the-art health care for local residents for years to come and maintain its position as one of the largest employers in Washington and Greene counties.

Clinical collaborations between WHS and UPMC for oncology (UPMC Hillman Cancer Center joint venture), pediatric specialties (UPMC Children’s Express Care and Specialty Care), women’s health (UPMC Magee-Womens) and heart and vascular care (UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute), have been in place for more than a decade, providing care for more than 10,000 patients annually. UPMC will continue to invest in and advance key services locally, including inpatient and emergency care, women’s health, cardiology, surgical services, diagnostics, primary care and specialty and outpatient services.

“By joining UPMC, our providers will gain access to world class resources and scientific expertise to better serve our patients,” said John Six, MD, vice president of Medical Affairs at UPMC Washington. “Becoming a part of UPMC best positions us to maintain our commitment and longstanding desire to provide high quality, compassionate care to our local community.”

Dr. Six provided a few statistics on how vital UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene are to the region. He said there are 47,000 emergency room visits, 15,000 inpatient visits, one million lab tests, and 310,000 outpatient visits annually. He shared there were 600 babies delivered annually, a few of whom were in the audience, like JoJo Burgess, mayor of the city of Washington.

“I have a long history with these hospitals,” he said. “My grandmother and aunts worked here, and I was born here.  Rural hospitals are dying every day. If we had not had UPMC come in and save this hospital, we would have failed our residents. I’m honored to say that UPMC would not let that happen.”

Mayor Burgess and Dan Miller, board chair of UPMC Washington related stories of how UPMC made a difference in the lives of Mayor Burgess’ father and Mr. Miller’s granddaughter. 

“We are bringing quality health care from the big city to our residents,” said Burgess.

“It’s about healthcare in this community for the long term,” said Miller.

John Surma, chair of the UPMC Board of Directors, said that a lot of work went into making this affiliation a reality since the announcement was made in June 2023 that WHS and UPMC were seeking to affiliate. At the press conference, he had a simple message for all those who care about UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene.

“The future is very bright – and the best is yet to come.”

For more information or to watch the full press conference, please visit whs.org/upmc.