Pennsylvania
Yes, central Pennsylvania has a lot of hospitals right near one another. But is that a problem?
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — As recently as 2019, describing the physical footprints of hospital systems in central Pennsylvania — based on where their 24/7 hospitals with emergency rooms was, anyway — was easy.
Penn State had the biggest hospital of all but (including its children’s hospital) just one hospital location: Hershey. Western Dauphin County and the West Shore, including pretty much all of Cumberland County, belonged to UPMC. Central Lancaster was Penn Medicine’s. Almost everywhere else belonged to WellSpan:
But then UPMC, in its first major move since entering the region through its aquisition of the Pinnacle system, built a hospital in York (UPMC Memorial) to compete head-to-head against WellSpan York Hospital. Penn State bought Holy Spirit in Camp Hill from Geisinger and built a new hospital (Penn State Health Hampden) in the Enola area and Penn State Health Lancaster, encroaching — at least from a standpoint of big physical hospitals — on the territories, respectively, of UPMC and Penn Medicine:
Or is that what it did? Not from Penn State’s perspective.
“Our Hershey Medical Center hospital was always full,” said Dr. Robert Harbaugh, a senior vice-president with the system. So “we could either build more buildings on this campus, or we could say, ‘Well, you know, maybe we should go to where our patients come from instead of always asking our patients to come to Hershey.’”
In other words, Harbaugh says Penn State finally built hospitals in areas it always considered within its footprint.
David Gibbons, senior vice-president of UPMC Health Services Division and regional market president for UPMC in Central Pennsylvania, says the system’s foray into York with a full-service hospital — complementing its Harrisburg, West Shore (Enola area), Carlisle and Community Osteopathic (Lower Paxton Township) — worked well.
“We have a number of initiatives that we’re reviewing right now for continued expansion at that campus alone,” Gibbons said. “So it really has been a tremendous story of success and growth.”
WellSpan, meanwhile, is building three new “microhospitals” in Newberry, Shrewsbury and Carlisle.
Penn State Hampden’s 110 new beds are just a mile from UPMC West Shore’s 166 beds.
Many of the new hospital beds are — like those at Hampden and West Shore — in Cumberland County, which some years is the fastest-growing county in the state. Still, Harbaugh knows the criticism: “You can look at metrics that say: ‘This area is over bedded; there are too many beds.’”
Gibbons is even more direct: “We do have an excess of hospital beds in this region.” (For its part, WellSpan said in a statement, “Our hospitals operate at full capacity on a regular basis.”)
But if central Pennsylvania has too many hospital beds, for whom is that a problem? For the hospital systems, perhaps, which absorb the costs of unoccupied beds — but not for system patient or employees, according to several studies, including a working paper published in June by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
The paper found in less competitive regions, healthcare costs rise and health employment falls after systems merge, and salaries decline for the jobs that remain.
The 11 counties of abc27’s viewing area — Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry and York — are served by six different hospital systems (ranked here in order of revenue for the full systems, including, for some, large parts outside central Pennsylvania, according to figures from the industry newsletter Hospitalology and other abc27 News research): UPMC ($27.7 billion), Penn Medicine ($10 billion), Geisinger ($7.7 billion), Penn State Health ($3.8 billion), WellSpan Health ($3.7 billion) and Fulton County Medical Center ($120 million).
Not all compete directly — few customers find themselves choosing geographically between Geisinger, Fulton County and Penn Medicine. Still, those are a lot of players compared to some regions with similar population sizes — a highly competitive market, both Harbaugh and Gibbons said.
Although these figures include the systems’ operations in all markets, the highly competitive central Pennsylvania market could partly explain the operating losses for both systems in their most recent fiscal years, according to Hospitalology figures — among all six systems with hospitals in the region, only Penn Medicine and WellSpan eked out operating profits.
But Gibbons said the competition that challenges the systems is great for consumers.
“Competition in health care is very, very good. It drives innovation. It drives new models of care. It drives competition to create greater access and convenience,” he said. “But the most imporant is that it drives the overall improvement in the quality of care.”
The Federal Trade Commission has generally accepted that argument and used the same logic to block mergers in other markets that could have resulted in less competition.
Pennsylvania
Downed trees amid strong storms close roadways in central Pennsylvania, PennDOT says
DAUPHIN, CUMBERLAND, COUNTIES, Pa. (WHP) — PennDOT is reporting multiple road closures and hazards Saturday night as storms sweep through central Pennsylvania.
In the borough of Dauphin, a tree went into a car on 22/322 West, according to spokesperson Fritzi Schreffler.
There are several trees down on 11/15 North coming from I-81, heading to Marysville just across the Perry County line.
She also said I-81 South is closed at exit 85 for a jackknifed tractor-trailer. There are no details on injuries or other vehicles involved at this time, and the cause for the crash is unclear.
Traffic cameras show backup on I-81 near MM 84.8 on June 6, 2026, after storms swept through the area. (511PA)
Lancaster police notified the public of a road closure in the city, saying a tree fell onto the street on the first block of E. Vine St.
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Pennsylvania
Upside Down Trapezoid House Built by Renowned Loft Architect and His Students Hits the Market in Pennsylvania for $625K
A stunning four-bedroom work of art designed by late Italian architect and loft pioneer Giuseppe “Beppe” Zambonini has just hit the market in Pennsylvania for $625,000—listing for the first time in more than two decades.
The upside-down 1987 trapezoid-style dwelling in Dingmans Ferry boasts a barrel vaulted ceiling supported by eight interior columns and is surrounded by expansive windows and decks to soak in the tranquil views of nature.
Each of the rooms was designed, not as a traditional rectangle, but as a trapezoid, a technique that was meant to maximize the amount of natural light inside the home, ensuring that each window has ample opportunity to let the sun shine through.
It was a design method that Beppe came up with while working in New York City, where he was renowned for his work creating stunning loft spaces with “theater set” walls. He then brought that technique to Pennsylvania, where he sought to design his own weekend retreat, using the hallmarks that had turned him into a legend of Big Apple architecture.
The result is a home that appears, from the outside, almost like a stack of unevenly placed shipping containers—but on the inside is a stunning, light-filled dwelling, with enormous windows that offer beautiful views of the surrounding area from every room.
“There are numerous instances in the construction where hallways, rooms, and decks are not perfectly rectangular but rather are all trapezoid in shape,” says listing agent Shaun Burger of Keller Williams Real Estate Milford.
Beppe purchased the 2.44-acre land on which the home now sits in the 1980s, before crafting a home that would be used full time by his wife and their daughter—but was close enough to New York City that he could join them on weekends.
The idyllic parcel is perched above Nyce Lake in a development that would later become known as Traces of Lattimore.
“It is only 90 minutes away from Manhattan but is a world away in terms of peacefulness and nature,” Burger noted. “There are a lot of properties here being used as second homes, but it could also be used as a primary residence.”
The unique home—which was constructed by Beppe and a team of his best students from his design school, Open Atelier of Design—drew immediate attention from design aficionados, even featuring in a play entitled “The Upside Down House” in New York and a feature film called “A Picture of You.”
In a nod to this heritage, the garage door features a design by one of Beppe’s students resembling a theater curtain that a local artist created using shades of Chinese red, gray, and white.
Burger says that with so much cultural and architectural history, the property feels as much like a piece of art as it does a residential dwelling, one that the current owner has taken great care to preserve and maintain.
“The seller is very much into the arts and feels more of a custodian of the home,” Burger shares. “He is looking to pass it along to the next steward.”
What makes the dwelling so unique is that only one column is exposed on each floor, which is highlighted by a different color in each room. In the home office, the column is red while the primary bedroom features a blue support, and a yellow column can be found in the dining room.
A third-floor loft boasts Zambonini’s signature theater set walls.
“The home itself is so unique, which is what originally attracted the seller,” he added. “There are so many Colonials, ranches, and cookie-cutter homes in the area, so it is infrequent to find a home like this where there has been so much thought put into it.”
In the 40 years since the property was built, it has changed hands on only one occasion, in 2005—when it was sold by Beppe’s wife, Claudia, to the man who owns it now for $396,000.
“I scrupulously maintained the original colors of the house, inside and out, and kept the kitchen and bathrooms as I found them,” the seller writes in the listing. “After 21 years, it is time for a new custodian to live in this significant work of art.”
According to Burger, the property would be the perfect retreat for someone who likes their privacy but also enjoys entertaining guests, offering ample room across its 2,850-square-foot design.
“It has four bedrooms and four bathrooms so it would be a nice home for someone who loves to entertain,” Burger adds. “There is plenty of space for guests.”
What’s more, the property offers the best of both worlds—surrounded by nature, but with all the convenience of proximity to nearby cities and towns.
“There are a lot of windows and sitting areas, so when you are inside, you feel like you are outside,” the listing agent says. “Dingmans Ferry is very quaint and has lots of lakes, waterfalls, hiking trails, and skiing. It’s a naturally beautiful area.
“I envision the next buyer to be an artist who will totally appreciate this work of art. The area has highly rated public schools for someone who has children. I think it will be someone who will want a getaway where they can reconnect and recharge with nature and will not want to change or renovate the home.”
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Pennsylvania
Sweet Summer: 59 creameries unite dairy lovers with Pennsylvania farms on Ice Cream Trail
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. (WFMZ) — 59 creameries across the Commonwealth are serving up a sweet summer connecting dairy lovers with Pennsylvania farms.
June 4 kicked off the Ninth Annual Scooped Ice Cream Trail.
Ice cream lovers can register online and fill out a digital passport as they visit participating creameries. Each visit earns points towards various prizes.
The owners of Batch Microcreamery in Center Valley tell 69 News they’re excited to be part of the trail for the third year in a row, attracting visitors locally and out-of-state.
“This is the third location of the ice cream trail that I’ve been on,” said Kamden Acevedo.
Acevedo is originally from Staten Island and said he’s motivated to try other locations on the trail throughout the state.
“I love ice cream. I’m going to try, I’m going to try my hardest honestly,” Acevedo stated.
Dana Reibman and her daughter are just happy for the sweet treat.
“We’re all up for ice cream all the time. We come here probably about once a month because we like trying the different flavors. As you can see, she really enjoys the cookie monster flavor,” Reibman explained.
The ice cream trail continues through Sept. 7.
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