NEW PATIENT CARE ENVIRONMENT AND SERVICES HIGHLIGHTED AT PORT ALLEGANY COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER OPEN HOUSE

PORT ALLEGANY, PA– Charles Cole Memorial Hospital hosted an open house Wednesday at the Port Allegany Community Health Center on 45 Pine Street to celebrate the facility’s recent renovations and expansion.  Over 120 community members, Charles Cole Memorial Hospital board members, providers, staff and past Port Allegany Hospital employees attended.

CCMH and UPMC Hamot collaborated on the project to renovate 7,900 square feet and add 4,600 square feet. The additional space allows the Health Center’s staff to provide more patient care to the community with 22 exam and treatment rooms for family and pediatric primary care services, women’s health, laboratory, radiology, physical therapy and occupational therapy services, a community education room and wellness center. In addition, the Center now offers specialty clinics for podiatric services by Dr. Michael Tarbox and chiropractic care by Dr. Michael Kavounas. Offices for the Asbestos Health Program, Dickinson Alcohol & Drug Abuse Services, Inc., and behavioral health counseling are also on-site.

Following a welcome by Reverend Randall Headley, Cole Memorial’s Board Chair, Ed Pitchford, president and chief executive officer of CharlesColeMemorialHospital recognized those who were instrumental in making the project a reality. Additional comments were made by Jason Tronetti, DO of the Port Allegany Community Health Center and Cole Memorial board member, and V. James Fiorenzo, executive vice president and chief operating officer at UPMC Hamot. The following PortAlleganyCommunityHealthCenter providers participated in a ribbon cutting: Dr. Jason Tronetti, Dr. Marlene Wust-Smith, Dr. Michael Tarbox, Becky Seefeldt, CRNP, Julie Baker, PA-C, Dr. Michael Kavounis.  Giveaways and health activities were provided to attendees such as, free one-week wellness center passes, foot screenings by Cole Care, chiropractic information, demonstrations of the Hospital’s patient education simulator, and telemedicine with the UPMC Hamot Heart Institute.

“Charles Cole Memorial Hospital is committed to providing excellent healthcare services in response to the changing needs of the Port Allegany area,” said President and CEO Ed Pitchford. “We appreciate the generous support of our donors and their ability to share our long-range vision of enhancing the health and well-being of McKeanCounty residents and this community for years to come. We are pleased that this healthcare facility will continue to be a vital part of the community.”

CCMH has operated the facility for more than 25 years and while improvements have been made during that time, the increased demand and limited space for primary care, specialists and ancillary services created the need for this project.

Primary care providers at the health center currently see 14,000 patients annually. This project is expected to allow for an increase of more than 4,000 patient visits per year while specialists could see an increase of 5,000 visits.

“This is a great day in Port Allegany and the Center’s providers are thrilled. CharlesColeMemorialHospital and UPMC Hamot have made it possible to expand our ability to provide more patient care to the community,” Dr. Tronetti said.

“The expansion and renovation of the PortAlleganyCommunityHealthCenter reflects the growing relationship between two quality health care institutions,” said Hamot’s COO James Fiorenza. “UPMC Hamot and CharlesColeMemorialHospital are committed to improving access to the highest quality healthcare and services provided to patients in this region.”

In March 2010, CCMH and UPMC Hamot entered into a clinical affiliation agreement through which the two health systems collaborate to improve the access and quality of health services to the residents of the area.

About CharlesColeMemorialHospital

CharlesColeMemorialHospital is a full-service, comprehensive health system based in Coudersport with service throughout north central Pennsylvania. In addition to the hospital’s main campus in Coudersport, CCMH provides primary health care, including wellness and physical therapy, to surrounding communities in four counties at rural health centers in Galeton, Ulysses, Westfield, Shinglehouse, Port Allegany, Eldred, Smethport and Emporium. For additional information on the hospital’s services and medical providers, visit www.charlescolehospital.com.

About UPMC Hamot

UPMC Hamot is a 412-bed, tertiary care facility, located in Erie. UPMC Hamot has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report-America’s Best Hospitals, Top 50 for Pulmonary Medicine, Most Wired, and Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals for overall performance, as well as Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals for outstanding outcomes in heart care, neurological services, urology, orthopaedics, gerontology and critical care medicine. For more information, visit www.hamot.org.