For Aspinwall and surrounding communities, UPMC St. Margaret is a cornerstone of healing and support, providing world-class care and engaging actively in community health initiatives. On Feb. 27, Andrew Ritchie, president, UPMC St. Margaret, and vice president, UPMC Health Services Division, presented an overview of UPMC St. Margaret’s past year and year to come at its annual public board meeting.
Andrew Ritchie
Ritchie opened with a warm welcome, marking his first annual public meeting as president of UPMC St. Margaret since joining the team last year.
He discussed UPMC St. Margaret’s commitments to growth and excellence, fueling the future generation of health care and how the hospital serves as both a hub for the community and a home for its staff.
Committing to Growth and Excellence
In 2025, UPMC St. Margaret will concentrate on key strategic priorities. “This year, we will focus on what we can control,” said Ritchie. “We want to stay committed to excellent patient experiences and improving access to our physicians and services.”
In 2024, UPMC St. Margaret was recognized for its excellence, receiving a Leapfrog A twice annually for six consecutive years — 12 straight As in a row. Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades are the nation’s top distinction for patient safety and public symbols that help patients and communities understand a hospital’s commitment to providing safe, high-quality care.
Ritchie listed prioritization to grow service lines in sync with the needs of the community. Priorities include urology, dermatology, diagnostics and imaging, colorectal and orthopaedics, some of which have expansions and technology enhancements underway. “We want to grow our service lines that have room to expand to serve the changing needs of our population,” said Ritchie.
In January 2025, UPMC St. Margaret opened an expansion of UPMC St. Margaret Dermatology after investing $150,000 in equipment and doubling the Mohs procedure rooms at the Harmer office. Mohs micrographic surgery is a highly effective treatment that removes skin cancer one layer at a time, saving as much healthy tissue as possible. Additionally, a new dermatologist is set to join the team in Dec. 2025.
“I’m excited to say that we have invested $6.35 million into combining our two urology locations into one convenient hub, opening in March of this year,” said Ritchie. “We will also be improving our MRI technology with a $2.4 million investment, expected to be completed in May.”
Following UPMC’s lead with high standards for the facility’s safety, UPMC St. Margaret has been making campus improvements, including replacing the roof on Building 100 and renovating the 6th floor.
Fueling the Future Generation of Healthcare
Founded in 1910, the UPMC St. Margaret School of Nursing has been preparing nurses to serve patients for over a century. “As a community-based teaching hospital, we teach new nurses to see the whole person — as part of a larger society — rather than as a disease process,” said Ritchie, who expanded on the evidence-based care the 58 students currently enrolled provide to more than 50 municipalities in the region.
In Dec. 2024, 25 students graduated from the UPMC St. Margaret School of Nursing, with 14 passing the NCLEX on their first attempt and 11 set to test this year. 100% of the students accepted UPMC positions, with 20% of them remaining at UPMC St. Margaret.
“UPMC St. Margaret provides nurses the opportunity to provide excellent care to their patients at a highly-award facility,” said Ritchie. “In 2023, we achieved our fourth recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®, an accomplishment made by less than 5% of hospitals nationwide.”
Similarly, UPMC St. Margaret’s Residency Programs prepare future doctors for the broad challenges of medicine. Currently, the program has a 100% graduation rate and over 60 residents across seven specialties. Of those 60 residents, 39 are currently enrolled in the Family Medicine Residency, UPMC St. Margaret’s most popular program.
After his portion of the presentation, Ritchie invited a graduate of the Family Medicine Residency program, Eric Frankel, M.D., to speak. Dr. Frankel has worked at UPMC St. Margaret for over 20 years and is now the vice president of the new UPMC Primary Care Service Line.
Dr. Frankel shared the positive outcomes the creation of the service line has generated. “Primary care providers are more energized and enthusiastic about what they can contribute to the system,” said Dr. Frankel. “Our initial focus is establishing our role in the system, structure and support, while still appreciating the uniqueness of each community our primary care providers serve.”
A Hub for the Community, a Home for Staff
Every year, UPMC St. Margaret is committed to supporting the health care needs within the hospital’s surrounding community, including medically underserved areas within New Kensington, Sharpsburg, Verona, Blawnox, Etna and Millvale.
“Since 2019, we’ve focused on targeting our community’s needs based on the Community Health Needs Assessment,” said Ritchie. “This includes topics like behavioral health, access to care and navigating resources and community-wide healthy living.”
In 2024, UPMC St. Margaret performed 904 blood pressure screenings, 83 cholesterol and glucose screenings, 303 flu shots and 166 Ask the Doctor/Expert discussions at various events. At the Roots of Faith Neighborhood Table, 638 community residents engaged in interactive health-related games and the St. Margaret Foundation distributed 720 produce bags monthly.
“These achievements are made possible by out close relationship with community organizations and Family Health Centers in Lawrenceville, New Kensington and Bloomfield-Garfield on Penn Ave,” said Ritchie. “We are so thankful to be a place our community members in need come to for education, resources and top-quality care, and we want to continue to be a hub of support and compassion for them.”
While UPMC St. Margaret is devoted to caring for the community, they also continue to create a community-feel within the walls of the hospital.
Ritchie shared the story of two agency travel nurses who decided to make UPMC St. Margaret their home after their temporary positions ended. Sarah Ergler, R.N., and Dominique Goodwine, R.N., both worked in several different places before jumping at the opportunity to return to UPMC St. Margaret full time. “If your heart is at the bedside, UPMC St. Margaret is a great place to be,” said Ergler.
UPMC St. Margaret joins its staff and the community they serve in a shared mission: compassion and unwavering support.
“None of what we do would be possible without our exceptional team,” said Ritchie. “I’m proud to say that UPMC St. Margaret is a place of belonging.”
Together, the campus and community not only grow but thrive, hand in hand.
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