Allegheny Health Network Unveils New McCandless Neighborhood Hospital

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Dec 12, 2019, 11:00 ET

PITTSBURGH, Dec. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Representatives of Highmark Health, Allegheny Health Network (AHN) and Emerus today joined community leaders in McCandless Township to officially unveil the second of four new neighborhood hospitals that AHN and Emerus are constructing across western Pennsylvania.

Situated at the crossroads of McKnight Road and Duncan Avenue, AHN McCandless Neighborhood Hospital will be a fully licensed hospital that provides 24/7 access to care. Staffed by board-certified physicians, nurses and other experienced health care professionals, the facility will include an emergency department and an 11-bed inpatient unit for observation and short-stay use.

AHN McCandless is expected to officially open to patients in the coming weeks, pending licensing by the state. Later next year, a range of services will become available at the facility's Outpatient Center located on the third and fourth floors of the building, including primary care, pediatric care, dermatology, pulmonology, chronic disease management, as well as laboratory services.

"We are extremely excited to be providing our patients in the greater western Pennsylvania region with more choices for the high-quality health care services they need close to where they live and work," said Cynthia Hundorfean, AHN President and CEO. "Similar to the many other new AHN facilities and programs that we have brought to Pittsburgh's northern suburbs in recent years, we look forward to the positive impact that AHN McCandless will have on this community."

Among numerous patient-friendly design elements in the new hospital, the four-story, nearly 50,000 square-foot facility features nursing stations uniquely configured to maximize sightlines and accessibility, allowing staff to easily monitor exam rooms and minimize response times. Advanced CT and X-ray procedure rooms will accommodate patients of any age, with adjacent observation rooms that keep families together during procedures. An onsite lab will expedite testing results for patients.

AHN McCandless will also be integrated into AHN's EPIC electronic health record, allowing medical records to be accessed and shared seamlessly for effective care coordination.

"Patients at our neighborhood hospitals will be cared for with the same high level of clinical expertise and technological sophistication available in the emergency departments and inpatient observation units of every AHN hospital," said Tom Campbell, MD, Chair, AHN Emergency Medicine. "And the quality of their care experience at these facilities will be second to none."

AHN McCandless will be closely integrated with the network's other key facilities in the North Hills, including the Wexford Health + Wellness Pavilion, Pediatric Orthopaedic Institute, Sports Performance at Wexford Plaza, and a number of physician offices. When more comprehensive care is needed, AHN McCandless will provide a smooth transition to nearby full-service hospitals, including the future AHN Wexford Hospital which is expected to open in 2021.

Last month, AHN unveiled its first neighborhood hospital located in Hempfield. AHN Hempfield, AHN McCandless and the network's future neighborhood hospitals located in Brentwood and Harmar are part of a joint venture partnership between AHN and Emerus – the nation's leading developer and operator of neighborhood hospitals. For six consecutive years, Emerus has received the prestigious Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award, which recognizes the country's best-performing health care organizations that have consistently achieved the top 95th percentile or above for exceptional patient experience.

"We could not have found a better organization to partner with in bringing our neighborhood hospital model to life for the people of western Pennsylvania," said David Stillwell, Regional President, Emerus. "It has been clear from day one how important AHN is to this region and how committed its leaders, clinicians and staff at every level are to the patient-centered and community-focused health care mission and values that we share."

About AHN

Allegheny Health Network (www.AHN.org), a Highmark Health company, is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving the greater Western Pennsylvania region. Among the network's 250 clinical locations are eight hospitals — Allegheny General Hospital, its flagship academic medical center in Pittsburgh; Allegheny Valley Hospital in Natrona Heights, Pa.; Canonsburg Hospital in Canonsburg, Pa.; Forbes Hospital in Monroeville, Pa.; Jefferson Hospital in Jefferson Hills, Pa.; Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie, Pa.; West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh; and Westfield Memorial Hospital in Westfield, NY. AHN also is home to a comprehensive research institute; Health + Wellness Pavilions; home- and community-based health services; and a group purchasing organization. The network employs 20,000 people and has more than 2,400 doctors on its medical staff. Established in 2013, AHN's member hospitals share legacies of charitable care that date back more than 160 years.

About Emerus

Emerus is the nation's first and largest operator of neighborhood hospitals. Emerus partners with leading health systems to provide excellence, empathy and innovation in health care delivery through a network of efficient, value-based neighborhood hospitals and acute care facilities. The Emerus network brings high-quality, patient-centric acute episodic and ambulatory clinical services to communities across a given market. This helps patients by positioning best-in-class provider services in the communities where they work, live and play. Emerus' distinctive level of care earned the Guardian of Excellence Award for Superior Patient Experience in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. More information is available at www.emerus.com (http://www.emerus.com).

SOURCE Allegheny Health Network