Malvern, Pa. (May 25, 2022) – State Senator Carolyn Comitta, State Rep. Melissa Shusterman, and Chester County Commission Chair Marian Moskowitz recently visited Paoli Hospital, part of Main Line Health, to tour its campus and discuss the ongoing challenges facing hospitals and healthcare systems in the region.
Paoli Hospital, the only acute-care level II trauma center in Chester County, continues to provide services to residents in the region. Both the COVID-19 pandemic and an influx of patients resulting from Tower Health’s closures of Brandywine and Jennersville hospitals have continued to drive up patient volume in addition to other factors.
After touring the hospital, Comitta, Shusterman, and Moskowitz sat down with Jim Paradis, President of Paoli Hospital; Jon Stallkamp, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Main Line Health; Barbara Wadsworth, DNP, RN, Chief Operating Officer of Main Line Health; and other officials for a roundtable discussion.
The discussion covered a wide range of topics including:
- Paoli’s plans to expand its emergency department to meet the needs of an influx of patients.
- The hospital’s longer-term vision for the future of healthcare in the face of an aging population and regional growth.
- The importance of patient communication, education, and other strategies to better utilize emergency room visits.
- How the hospital continues to manage pandemic-related logistical issues and supply chain delays and shortages.
- Main Line Health’s commitment to charity care for patients in need and its recent investment in expanded inpatient behavioral health services at Bryn Mawr Hospital.
Comitta, who serves on the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, said she has already secured important investments in Chester County’s hospital and health care infrastructure and is working with Shusterman and legislative leaders in Harrisburg to secure additional, much-needed support.
“Thanks to federal American Rescue Plan funds and strong revenues, Pennsylvania is sitting on a multi-billion-dollar budget surplus,” she said. “There is no reason to wait. These funds should be invested where they are most needed now and that is in saving lives, providing for the health of our communities, and ensuring access to quality, affordable healthcare for all. I also want to thank all of the doctors, nurses, and staff at Paoli Hospital for their service throughout the pandemic and in the face of these ongoing challenges.”
“We deeply appreciate State Senator Comitta, State Representative Shusterman, and Chester County Commission Chair Moskowitz’s interest and support of Main Line Health and their recognition of the vitally important care we provide here in the region. As the healthcare landscape takes new twists and turns, we will continue to step up and champion the need for funding as a key component to ensuring the health of all residents,” Jim Paradis, President, Paoli Hospital.
Main Line Health will be expanding world-class stroke and heart care at Paoli Hospital with the forthcoming opening later this year of a new, state-of-the-art interventional vascular suite. The suite will have rapid access to advanced diagnostics and treatment options for stroke care. The new facility will include five dedicated, state-of-the-art labs for neuro-interventional, cardiac catheterization, and electrophysiology procedures.
“The healthcare professionals at Paoli Hospital do an exceptional job and I am grateful for their tireless efforts, especially on the frontlines of the pandemic. The Hospital has been operating over-capacity for far too long and needs to expand its facilities to provide patients with the quality care they deserve,” Shusterman said. “Legislators need to alleviate some of this burden because Paoli Hospital is critical to our community. I look forward to working with Senator Comitta and Commissioner Moskowitz to ensure Paoli Hospital receives the support it needs to keep our families healthy and safe.”
Moskowitz said, “Discussions about how our county, and our region, can continue to provide the best healthcare for residents is vitally important, especially in light of the challenges of the past year. I thank the leadership at Main Line Health and Paoli Hospital for including the County in these discussions, so that together through public, private, and community partnerships we can work to resolve and improve upon all emergent care, acute care, and behavioral health needs.”
Founded in 1985, Main Line Health is a not-for-profit health system serving Philadelphia and its western suburbs. Main Line Health’s commitment—to deliver advanced medicine for treating and curing disease, playing an important role in prevention and disease management as well as training physicians and other health care providers—reflects our intent to be the region’s premier choice for clinical care, research, and education. A team of more than 10,000 employees, 3,000 nurses and 2,000 physicians care for patients throughout the Main Line Health System.
At Main Line Health’s core are four of the region’s most respected acute care hospitals—Lankenau Medical Center, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Paoli Hospital, and Riddle Hospital—as well as one of the nation’s premier facilities for rehabilitative medicine, Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital.
Main Line Health also includes Mirmont Treatment Center for drug and alcohol recovery; Main Line Health HomeCare & Hospice, which includes skilled home health care, hospice and home infusion services; Main Line Health Centers, primary and specialty care, lab and radiology, and other outpatient services located in Broomall, Collegeville, Concordville, Exton, King of Prussia and Newtown Square; Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, a biomedical research organization; and Main Line HealthCare, one of the region’s largest multispecialty physician networks.
Main Line Health is the recipient of numerous awards for quality care and service, including U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals, System Magnet® designation; the nation’s highest distinction for nursing excellence; and the Mid-Atlantic Alliance for Performance Excellence (MAAPE) Excellence Award. Main Line Health is committed to creating an environment of diversity, respect, equity, and inclusion, has proudly received awards in this area, and has embraced the American Hospital Association’s #123forEquity Pledge to Act to eliminate disparities in care. We are dedicated to advancing patient-centered care, education, and research to help patients stay healthy and live their best lives.