By Dan Hounsell, Senior Editor

Penn State Health recently opened its newest hospital. Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center gives residents another option for the services of Penn State Health, complementing Holy Spirit Medical Center along with the health system’s primary and specialty care practice sites across the West Shore.

The completion of Hampden Medical Center contributes to Penn State Health’s long-term goal of ensuring that everyone in the communities it serves is within 10 minutes of a Penn State Health primary care provider, 20 minutes of its specialty care services, and 30 minutes of a Penn State Health acute care hospital.

“Together with Highmark, we made a promise to bring the expertise of Penn State Health’s providers closer to the communities where our patients live,” said Penn State Health CEO Steve Massini. “Hampden Medical Center represents our most significant investment to date in fulfilling that promise to make care more convenient and comfortable.”

Hampden Medical Center opened with approximately 300 employees, with a planned increase over the first three years to more than 900 employees.

The 300,000-square-foot hospital includes 110 private inpatient beds, an emergency department, imaging and lab services, various specialty inpatient services, women’s health, labor and delivery, and complete medical and surgical capabilities. Care at Hampden Medical Center will be provided by Penn State Health faculty physicians, Penn State Health community practice providers, and independent community providers.

Work on the $300 million acute-care facility began in March 2019 and brought hundreds of jobs to the area. Cannon Design and Barton Malow Alexander partnered with Penn State Health on the project and sourced many key services and materials from local businesses.

Hampden Medical Center incorporates solutions intended to put people at ease, including a modern design and many visually striking features. They include some 400 pieces of art created by community artists and hand-picked by a diverse group of 14 community members.