UPMC Builds Hospitals Where Our Patients Are … Not Where Our Competitors Are
By: Paul Wood
UPMC intends to build a modern and technologically state-of-the-art facility – UPMC South – to most conveniently serve patients preferring UPMC’s world-class care closer to their homes. At UPMC South, patients would receive the most appropriate treatment on an ambulatory basis whenever possible. UPMC South would be fully equipped to provide preventive, emergency and intensive care; the latest imaging technology; and inpatient beds for those requiring a hospital stay.
UPMC is seeking site-specific approval from the Zoning Hearing Board of Pleasant Hills Borough. A hearing before the Board will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 9.
We have begun the process of due diligence, including title, survey, environmental and geotechnical considerations. The project, both in its construction phase and once completed, is expected to support hundreds of construction jobs and have a significant positive economic impact on area businesses and ultimately create an estimated 500 permanent jobs.
PATIENTS ALREADY CHOOSE UPMC:
Each year, more than 175,000 patients – or, about 500 per day – who live in communities along the Route 51 corridor choose to drive past AHN’s Jefferson Hospital to be treated by UPMC clinicians in Oakland as inpatients, outpatients, or on an emergency basis.
Every day, an average of 164 patients from communities along the Route 51 corridor are being treated as inpatients at UPMC’s hospitals in Oakland. Comparatively, 110 patients from this same area are inpatients at Jefferson.
Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4) data tells a similar story – that is, of the patients living along the Route 51 corridor who require an inpatient hospital admission, 46 percent go to UPMC while 38 percent go to Jefferson.
This demonstrates that the clear majority of residents in these communities have already chosen UPMC physicians and facilities as their preferred providers.
Also, more than 51,000 UPMC Health Plan members and nearly 5,000 UPMC employees live in the communities along the Route 51 corridor.
INCREASED COMPETITION LEADS TO BETTER QUALITY, PRICING AND INCREASED CHOICE:
Similar to our intent in the South Hills, UPMC East brought more choice and competition and has been embraced by that community. Choice, even close by, is vital to a healthy competitive environment assuring that all providers offer the highest quality at the lowest cost.
Patient services improve and prices decline with enhanced competition. A prime example is the very strong competition in the health insurance market in western Pennsylvania where businesses and consumers are enjoying some of the very lowest individual, Medicare and commercial rates found anywhere in the country.
Paul Wood is UPMC’s Vice President & Chief Communications Officer.
UPMC intends to build a modern and technologically state-of-the-art facility – UPMC South – to most conveniently serve patients preferring UPMC’s world-class care closer to their homes. At UPMC South, patients would receive the most appropriate treatment on an ambulatory basis whenever possible. UPMC South would be fully equipped to provide preventive, emergency and intensive care; the latest imaging technology; and inpatient beds for those requiring a hospital stay.
