Decision comes after unsuccessful attempts to renew current lease, which expires September 2026

As part of its steadfast commitment to delivering behavioral health services that are greatly needed in central Pennsylvania, Penn State Health will relocate Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute’s (PPI) inpatient services to Holy Spirit Medical Center in Camp Hill at the end of its lease in September 2026.

November 7, 2024Penn State Health News

Penn State Health had intended for PPI to remain at its current location at 2501 North Third Street in Harrisburg, and made efforts to secure a new lease with UPMC, which holds the master lease for the site. However, UPMC has not been responsive to Penn State Health’s requests, resulting in the decision to relocate in order to maintain ongoing access to these essential services.

“Given the circumstances, we must act now to ensure a successful relocation of PPI by September 2026,” said Kim Feeman, president of PPI. “We are committed to making the transition as seamless as possible and to minimize disruption of care and services for patients and their families, clinicians, staff, educators, students and researchers.”

Late last year, Penn State Health assumed 100% governance control of PPI after the departure of UPMC as a 50% joint venture partner.

PPI inpatient services will continue unchanged through the end of the lease. PPI outpatient psychiatry and therapy services and the Advances in Recovery clinic, which offers comprehensive services for people with opioid use disorder, will also continue to operate at their current locations in Harrisburg until September 2026. Penn State Health is working to identify a new location for these services near the present site.

Later this month, architects and contractors will begin work to renovate the third and fourth floors at Holy Spirit Medical Center. Leaders are working on a plan to retain all employees and transition some of the hospital’s medical and surgical services to nearby Hampden Medical Center.

“We will continue providing all of the important behavioral health services and resources we currently deliver in Cumberland County,” said Kyle Snyder, president, Hampden and Holy Spirit medical centers. Holy Spirit Medical Center provides an acute inpatient and partial hospitalization program, and intensive outpatient and dual-diagnosis programs. “Combining these existing services with PPI will create even greater impact for our communities, as we leverage the benefits of our integrated academic health system to offer the best possible behavioral health care across central Pennsylvania.”

The PPI team will work side by side with the Holy Spirit Behavioral Health team and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health throughout the transition process.

If you’re having trouble accessing this content, or would like it in another format, please email Penn State Health Marketing & Communications.

The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has prohibited campfires on all state park and forest lands until further notice.

The ban, announced Monday, is due to persistent dry conditions that have put half the commonwealth’s counties under drought warnings, including Allegheny County.

Wednesday’s light rains do not affect the drought warning, which was issued Nov. 1 by the Department of Environmental Protection.

“DEP makes drought declarations based on long-term trends; a rainy week may not lift the drought status for an area,” DEP acting secretary Jessica Shirley said in a statement.

The DCNR is also encouraging Pennsylvanians to avoid burning on all lands during the dry conditions. The DEP has also asked residents and businesses to voluntarily reduce nonessential water use. (Suggestions include skipping car washes, running dishwashers and washing machines less often, and checking for and repairing household leaks.)

DCNR officials note that the campfire ban followed an unusually dry September and October, during a time of lots of sun and low humidity.

“Practicing fire prevention outdoors is absolutely critical during these dry conditions,” said state Fire Commissioner Thomas Cook.

The week ending Monday had seen 100 reported wildfires in the state, officials said. Human activity causes 99% of wildfires in the state, leading to the destruction of thousands of acres of woods each year.