8/1/2024
Farrell, Pa. - UPMC Horizon-Shenango Valley, located in Farrell, Pa., has completed a $1.5 million expansion project in its emergency department (ED), adding five additional beds to 16 existing beds, providing greater access to emergency medical care for residents in Mercer and Lawerence counties.
“When demand for UPMC services increases, we prioritize and we respond to the needs of our community,” said Beth Piccione, M.D., president, UPMC Horizon and UPMC Jameson. “People arrive at our hospitals in all forms of medical distress, and our skilled physicians and staff possess the knowledge and the resources to provide the highest levels of care for their needs.”
With a continued increase in ED patient volume in New Castle, Greenville, and Shenango Valley, there is substantial demand for UPMC’s care in the region. UPMC Horizon-Shenango Valley’s ED volume has grown by nearly 15% annually in recent years.
“It was actually not long ago that we transformed this ED to add more beds and, already, another expansion is needed,” she said. “In 2018, we completed a $4.5 million construction project that added seven beds to the emergency department.”
The 2018 ED expansion added 7,000 square feet of space by leveraging non-clinical adjacent space in the hospital. In 2024, approximately 1,300 square feet of space have been added to existing space that will be converted into clinical space.
In 2023, UPMC staff cared for approximately 21,000 patients at the UPMC Horizon-Shenango Valley ED, representing a 13% increase in volume from 2022.
“This expansion will streamline care, reduce wait times and best support staff with the space and capacity to deliver high-quality care and experiences — to do what we do best,” said Dr. Peter Adler, chief, emergency medicine services, UPMC Horizon and UPMC Jameson. “People in our community are increasingly choosing UPMC for their unscheduled and emergency care, and we embrace that challenge and opportunity to aid, heal and serve.”
The Emergency Department expansion at UPMC Horizon is part of a multifaceted plan to expand services across the UPMC Horizon and UPMC Jameson network of care to ensure more people have access to critical health care resources locally. UPMC has been strongly committed to meeting the needs of the community as demands and preferences evolve.
“This year, so far, at UPMC Horizon-Shenango Valley, we’ve seen a 20% increase in EMS arrivals alone,” said Dr. Piccione, “EMS are bringing more patients to the UPMC Emergency Departments.”
To show support for the expanded ED capacity in response to community needs, local EMS partners created a parade of emergency medical response vehicles in front of the ED.
“This expansion project is a prime example of how UPMC invests in hospitals and services in precise alignment with our communities’ needs,” added Dr. Piccione. “It is a privilege to deliver and improve access to UPMC’s nationally ranked, best-in-class care.”
Patients will be seen faster to assess, treat and initiate care plans — whether that be admission to an inpatient unit upstairs, discharge to home with planned follow-up care or another type of care transition to meet the person’s needs.
“We are thrilled that UPMC is investing in our community and aiding us in our mission to provide these critical emergency services to local residents,” said Andy Pratt, deputy director, McGonigle Ambulance.
When highly advanced specialty care is needed, UPMC has robust systems in place to facilitate seamless transfers to hospitals like UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, UPMC Passavant-McCandless in the North Hills or UPMC Jameson for 24-7 interventional cardiology.
PHOTO DETAILS (please click images for high-res versions)
Left photo
Caption: Back row, left to right: Andy Pratt, McGonigle Ambulance; Bob Gross, UPMC Horizon; David Garon, Shenango Twp. Fire Dept./Ambulance; Phil Rozic, UPMC Horizon; Zachary Lenhart, UPMC Horizon; Stephanie Conrad and William DeCarbo, Noga EMS. Front row, left to right: Peter Adler, D.O., UPMC horizon; Jessica Svirbly, UPMC Horizon, Beth Piccione, M.D., UPMC Horizon; Dana Yobbi, UPMC Horizon
Credit: UPMC
Right photo
Caption: UPMC Horizon Emergency Department includes five additional beds to provide greater access to emergency medicine services for Mercer and Lawrence County residents.
Credit: UPMC
