At WellSpan Health we're boldly moving forward so you can too. Every day we continue to push ahead relentlessly by finding a better way as your trusted healthcare partner.
— FINDING A BETTER WAY
We’ve been investing in telehealth for years and have developed tools to make your visits, follow-ups and urgent care easier. When the COVID-19 pandemic shifted much of our care online, we were prepared. Creating a safer environment for you both inside and outside our offices means you get the right care when and where you need it.
Rehabilitation, behavioral health, primary care and other services have provided care in new ways. With our online tools, you’re able to continue moving toward your health goals, receiving mental health care, and more. We will never stop striving to find a better way, so you can live a healthier life.
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Candace Kronen, a WellSpan speech therapist, committed to finding a better way to communicate with her patients. Using visual special effects usually reserved for the television and movie industry, Candace was able to help patients like Kylie interact with their instructor and continue their progress. “She has a gift for understanding kids and she has changed Kylie’s life,” said Michelle Mozeliak, Kylie’s mother. “You couldn’t understand anything Kylie was saying before, but since she began virtual learning she can now form sentences and I am just super happy that we can communicate with her now.”
— INNOVATIONS IN CANCER CARE
At WellSpan Health our expert cancer care team focuses on your individual needs with advanced technology. We walk alongside you with personal care navigators and collaborative treatment choices. We’re there for the whole journey from routine screening to diagnosis and leading treatment.
With advanced cancer treatment options available locally, we provide the ability to be cared for close to home. We help you feel supported through your cancer journey with the social, financial, spiritual and physical help you need so you can fight with greater peace of mind.
WellSpan leads the way, using state-of-the-art MRI machines, linked to artificial intelligence (AI) to relentlessly detect prostate and other cancers sooner. “We just have not been able to see these tumors prior to this technology,” says Edward Steiner, MD, chair of WellSpan Imaging and Radiation Oncology. “It’s game-changing technology.” Early diagnosis of prostate cancer means greatly improved survival rates. Once the cancer spreads past the gland, the cure rate drops from over 90 percent to 30 percent.
— CARE FOR DIVERSE COMMUNITIES
Care for all means care for everyone in all our communities. During the COVID-19 pandemic we worked with community partners to provide education and resources to all our neighbors. This included an emphasis on Spanish-language materials and programs.
Our focus on inclusivity means every community member has the chance to understand their health, to get timely and appropriate care and treatment options, and to make the best health decisions for themselves. Moving forward together is how we’re taking each step ahead.
Staff helped translate care messages for Julian Montanez, who was on a ventilator battling COVID-19 at WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital in Lebanon this spring. "Since the beginning of my sickness, my condition, I feel actually quite happy because everyone has been treating me so well," he said, translated from his native Spanish. We also shared Spanish-language COVID-19 information and materials across Central PA, educating patients and the community on safety. We donated thousands of masks, hand sanitizer and other PPE to those in need. From health information to free care for all COVID-19 patients, we ensured the community was well cared for during this uncertain time.
— QUALITY CARE SAVES LIVES
WellSpan has a team of experts who are on duty around the clock with one critical job: to quickly intervene when a patient in one of our hospitals shows signs of sepsis. In 2017, WellSpan unveiled a group called the Central Alert Team, which monitors hospitalized patients’ vital signs remotely and notifies the care team at the first sign of sepsis.
The program is estimated to have saved about 350 people who have been diagnosed with sepsis because of dramatically shortened response times and won the 2019 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety & Quality Award from The Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum. Before the team was established, the response time was more than an hour. After the team started working, the response time dropped to 12 to 15 minutes. More than 96 percent of our patients now receive necessary antibiotics within the critical three-hour window.
Tammy Sullivan’s heart rate was spiking. Her temperature and white blood cell count were high. She was experiencing severe sepsis. Fortunately, WellSpan's Central Alert Team was virtually monitoring her condition and staff quickly intervened. "It was definitely on my mind that I almost did not see another birthday," she said. "How grateful I am to all of those people who saved my life. It’s a surreal feeling."