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Maria Jimenez, a patient navigator at Penn State Health, is one of several cancer survivors working in the Department of Oncology at St. Joseph Medical Center. “When they hear what they have to go through, they fear the future. I tell them I did it, and they can, too. They see me well, and they leave with hope – and a smile.” She and her colleagues have formed a special bond supporting each other and their patients. “Their positivity and how they fight keeps me going,” said Jaime Natale, a registered nurse in infusion services who recently had her sixth surgery after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021. Read their story and how they are using their experience to better serve their patients.
U.S. News & World Report has named three Penn State Health hospitals as some of best in the nation. The magazine recognized Penn State Health’s Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Holy Spirit Medical Center and St. Joseph Medical Center in its annual Best Hospitals rankings and ratings. U.S. News ranks hospitals for excellent care for the most complex cases in 15 adult specialties and rates hospitals for their performance in treating common surgical procedures and medical conditions. U.S. News ranked the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at Hershey Medical Center as one of the best in the country for orthopedic care for the seventh year in a row. It also ranked the Penn State Neuroscience Institute at Hershey Medical Center as one of the best for neurological and neurosurgical care. Hershey Medical Center is recognized as high performing in six additional specialties: cancer, diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology and GI surgery, geriatrics, urology and pulmonology and lung surgery. Overall, U.S. News ranked Hershey Medical Center as #1 in the Harrisburg metro region and #5 in Pennsylvania. Holy Spirit Medical Center is rated as a high performing hospital for treating heart attack and stroke. St. Joseph Medical Center earned a high performing rating for treating heart failure, heart attack, pneumonia and stroke.
As a senior recruiter for Penn State Health, Katy Rush is passionate about the Employee Health Care Concierge Service. The service offers Penn State Health employees and their families free, confidential scheduling and coordination of their doctor appointments and diagnostic services, as well as support with specialist referrals and authorizations. Rush has nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, a condition that causes inflammation and liver damage. When she learned Penn State Health had launched a Fatty Liver Disease Program to diagnose and manage the condition, she was excited. “After I sent the Concierge Care Service an email, the specialist appointment was scheduled within a week. It was great!”
Penn State Health has earned national recognition as one of the Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion. The Disability Equality Index tool evaluated Penn State Health and nearly 500 organizations that participated in the 2023 survey, measuring a wide range of criteria including: culture and leadership, employment practices, advancement and accommodations and community engagement. Each company receives a score on a scale of 0 to 100, with those earning 80 and above receiving recognition. The Disability Equality Index is a joint initiative of Disability:IN and the American Association of People with Disabilities.
Penn State Health provides benefit-eligible employees up to 80 hours of paid parental leave per birth, adoption or placement of a child/children. “To have time off without being concerned about missing work was such a blessing,” says Peter Kostishak, a nurse practitioner at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. He and his wife, Abbie, who also works in Hershey, were both able be home following the birth of their second child thanks to the parental leave benefit provided by Penn State Health.
The Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center respiratory care team was recently honored as one of just 18 departments in the nation to earn the elite Apex Award designation from the American Association for Respiratory Care for best practices in respiratory care and evidence-based medicine.
Aileen McCormick, a nurse navigator in neurology at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, is the first woman in her immediate family to attend college, she has advanced from certified medical assistant to candidate for a master’s degree in nursing leadership, all while working full time. Penn State Health supported her through tuition assistance—“funds that were very important,” McCormick said. The medical center’s flexible scheduling made it easier for McCormick to balance full-time nursing duties with her educational pursuits. “That’s another way Penn State Health provided exceptional support.”
U.S. News & World Report has ranked Penn State Health Children’s Hospital as one of the best in the nation for pediatric cancer treatment for 2023-24.
Patients, families and staff members gave a warm welcome to the Nittany Lion football team, which visited with fans of all ages at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital. The event marked the team’s seventh visit to the Children’s Hospital and the first since 2019, after the tradition was put on hold for a few years due to visitation restrictions enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
There is no such thing as a "typical day" in health care. Spend a day alongside a group of Penn State Health employees in nursing, lab and Life Lion teams, as they share their experiences and what it's like to work at Penn State Health.
