Foundation Newsletter May 2021

May 2021

A FOUNDATION OF SUPPORT Adversity Spurs Action

TAVR Ribbon Cutting – James E. Adisey, MD, FACC; Beth Dell, RN Clinical Coordinator Cardiac Cath Lab; Elizabeth L. Detschelt, MD, FACS; Sandeep Arora, MD, FHRS, CCDS

Surgeons perform TAVR procedure with imaging guidance

Minimally Invasive Procedure Offers New Dimension of Heart Care | Hybrid Operating Room Ideal for Heart, Lung & Vascular Care Aortic stenosis is the most common valvular abnormality among adults, with more than 200,000 cases per year across the United States, most often among men over age 50. Excela Health now offers minimally invasive aortic heart valve replacement as part of a widening array of procedures available to the residents of Westmoreland County within the Heart, Lung & Vascular Center at Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) is being performed on patients with symptomatic, severe aortic stenosis (narrowing or restriction of blood flow) at low, intermediate or high risk for standard valve replacement surgery. A TAVR typically takes less than an hour to complete, and patients can expect to spend less time in the hospital after TAVR compared to traditional surgical valve replacement.

Nearly 40 patients have been evaluated for TAVR at Excela Westmoreland Hospital since the system began offering the procedure in February.

Current guidelines from the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology characterize symptoms of severe aortic stenosis as shortness of breath, angina, fatigue, syncope and palpitations. Without aortic valve replacement, severe aortic stenosis is a life-threatening disease and carries a poor short-term prognosis, with a survival rate as low as 50% within two years of symptom development.

For decades, the previous standard of care has been open-heart surgery for aortic valve replacement.

TAVR offers an alternative method for many patients.

During this minimally invasive, percutaneous approach, the valve is typically implanted through the femoral artery, although other access points may be used. TAVR can be an effective option to improve the quality of life in patients who otherwise have limited choices for the repair of their aortic valve.

Prior to treatment, patients are evaluated within Excela’s Structural Heart Program by a multidisciplinary team that includes cardiothoracic surgeons, interventional cardiologists, cardiovascular imagers, cardiac anesthesiologists and nurse navigators. The team reviews cardiac imaging, coronary angiography and CT scans along with clinical history to make the best clinical decision for each patient.

“Optimal treatment is based on this team approach to assist patients in pursuing therapy that is most appropriate for their aortic stenosis,” said Excela Health interventional cardiologist Nevin Baker, DO, FACC, FSCAI, who is spearheading TAVR utilization.

“We are excited about bringing this sophisticated therapeutic option to the residents of Westmoreland County. Our addition of this procedure further underscores the health system’s commitment to offer patients the convenience of advanced cardiovascular care from an exceptional team of clinicians on a local basis,” said John Sphon, Excela Health Chief Continued on page 2....

A Publication of: The Latrobe Area Hospital Charitable Foundation and Westmoreland/Frick Hospital Foundation

Continued from page 1....

Executive Officer. “We are continuing to expand the scope of services and expertise we offer across a spectrum of specialties, thereby minimizing the need for patients to travel out of the area to receive quality care when it is available close to home.”

TAVR is just the latest in a growing list of procedures that will be performed in a hybrid operating room newly opened at Excela Westmoreland Hospital.

This state-of-the-art surgical suite allows interventional cardiologists, radiologists and cardiac and vascular surgeons to work together in

one room to perform traditional diagnostic functions of a cardiac catheterization lab or interventional radiology suites, combined with traditional surgical functions of the operating room. Its real-time intraoperative image guidance systems provide unparalleled imaging capabilities in the operating room itself -- before, during and after the procedure. For patients, that can translate into a shorter procedure, less post-operative recovery time and less risk for complications.

Excela Answers Retired Police Officer’s Call for Backup For Ailing Heart Vernon Wechtenhiser and his wife Elizabeth check in with Excela Health interventional cardiologists Dr. Nevin Baker (left) and Dr. Vinod Kudagi following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), now available at Excela Health.

Vernon Wechtenhiser loved his beat as a Latrobe police officer, and would have remained on duty until he reached retirement naturally. His first bypass surgery came at age 49. With the likelihood of continued stress on his heart, he accepted early retirement and instead headed to the woods and streams to pursue his hunting and fishing hobby.

While his mind found calm in the outdoors, his heart was still unsettled. It withstood another bypass and five separate ablations before his atrial fibrillation ceased.

And each time over the past 30 years that he and his family made the trip to a Pittsburgh hospital, he was grateful for the care, but he longed for the day when his heart health could not only be monitored, but treated, locally.

That day finally came for the 80-year-old Unity Township resident, who was the first recipient of a transcatheter aortic valve replacement at Excela Health. Wechtenhiser learned from his Excela Health cardiologist about TAVR, a procedure that just

became available in Westmoreland County this February.

Wechtenhiser had been advised in recent years that he would one day be a candidate for valve replacement. The severity of the narrowing of his aortic valve became more obvious over the past year, as he grew short of breath with even the slightest exertion, and as soon as Excela Health was again scheduling elective procedures, Wechtenhiser was ready.

In less than an hour, the valve was replaced, and within 24 hours he was headed home – just 15 minutes away from the hospital. In the days leading up to his two-week post-procedure follow-up, he had resumed many of the familiar activities that he had stopped when they became more difficult, and he is showing other signs of improved overall health such as reduced swelling in his ankles.

Wechtenhiser and wife Elizabeth couldn’t be more enthusiastic about the outcome. Their strong faith and their confidence in the doctors and services of Excela Health have finally steadied the beat.

Giving From The Heart Although Steve Petro didn't live to see the full extent of upgrades to the Excela Health cardiovascular program, his coworkers assured his spirit will live on with memorial gifts to the Westmoreland/Frick Hospital Foundation that support the Heart, Lung & Vascular Center.

Trained as a cardiovascular technologist, Petro played a critical role in assuring safe healthcare practices for the team over a career that spanned four decades. A significant aspect of his work prior to his passing in November 2020 was the tracking of radiation exposure for all of the clinicians, and the accurate charting of procedural radiation to ensure appropriate dosing for each patient.

Highly regarded by the cardiologists, he always had the best interest of the patient in mind, and would never hesitate to speak up with ideas for improving case outcomes. And yet, despite all of his years of experience, he also knew there was still more to be learned, and he was never shy about asking for help, or posing questions if he was unsure. Thus far, nearly $3,800 has been donated in his memory toward enhancements to cardiac catheterization and gifts are still being accepted.

Planning to "Pay it Forward" | Betty Hammer was raised during the Depression, proud to be called a coal miner’s daughter. And while she credits her hardworking parents with instilling a strong values system in their large family, she muses that it was only later in life that she came to appreciate the concept of philanthropy. “My family struggled and wasn’t used to giving, but I realized why they didn’t give even though things were tight – they were never asked.”

As a fund-raiser and development officer, she made it a point during her working years at the Greensburg YWCA and the Westmoreland Museum of American Art not to have others miss the opportunity to support these community organizations - she was willing to ask! That practice continued during her time as a volunteer member of the Westmoreland/Frick Hospital Foundation Board, and shapes her decision-making still.

“I truly believe in the importance of paying it forward,” she says.

“Everyone has, or should have a will, as a starting point. because we all are likely to have resources that will outlast us.

Being able to make a difference in the lives of others when we’re gone is more than just creating or continuing a legacy; it’s fundamental to ensuring that essential services remain available.”

That’s why Betty has an estate plan that includes Excela Health through its foundations. And it’s why she remains committed to talking with others about how significant a gift – no matter the dollar amount – is to the health and well-being of the health system as well as the patients who will receive medical care.

“There are lots of reasons to give to help the hospital fulfill its mission,” she stresses. “Not the least of which is that whether you’re 8 or 80, you are likely to have needed care and when you did, you had an expectation that it would be the very best. From the latest in equipment and expertise to take care of a heart patient, or the creation of a warm and welcoming environment for a newborn, I am proud of our hospital system and grateful to play a part in making sure high-quality care is available close to home now and in the future.”

Betty Hammer

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A Grateful Patient ... A Grateful Family | If you asked Excela Health critical care nurse Jason Scott, BSN, RN, what he did that made such an impression on the Raymond Huey family, it's likely that he would insist that it wasn't anything special; he was just being himself. But Scott's personality and easy way of relating to his patients coupled with his demonstrated nursing expertise are precisely what prompted Huey's son, Tom, to make a $1,000 gift to the Westmoreland/Frick Hospital Foundation honoring him for the outstanding care extended to a grateful patient.

Ray and Karen Huey have lived in their same home in Irwin for 50 years, independently enjoying their lives with little need for hospitalization until later in life.

Recently, however, Ray was hospitalized in the intensive care unit at Excela Westmoreland Hospital for an infection that had turned to sepsis. At 91 and in need of a variety of interventions including intravenous medications, Ray was understandably afraid. But what the family witnessed when visiting was how well their loved one was faring as a result of the attentive engagement with Scott. "Jason made us comfortable on so many levels," explained Tom Huey. "We were able to sleep at night, knowing Dad's medical needs were met but also that he was cared about, not just cared for. Jason found ways to relate as they shared stories about boating and golf that clearly lifted Dad's spirits and put him at ease, which signaled to us he was in excellent hands.

Jason's ability to sooth fears resonated with the entire family, and it comes as no surprise that he provides that same level of care to everyone."

Dear Friends: During the past year, the healthcare needs of our community were not merely defined by the pandemic. While COVID-19 was surely at the forefront, friends, neighbors, and members of our families welcomed new babies, received replacement hips and knees, visited our Emergency Departments, underwent cancer treatment, had diagnostic testing, as well as life-saving heart procedures at Excela Health. Many more required the specialized services provided so skillfully by the Excela Health Home Care & Hospice team in homes, skilled facilities and acute-care settings.

The work of a healthcare system is difficult and complex, but the goal at Excela Health is simple, to improve the health and well-being of every life we touch. The promise to serve the healthcare needs of our community is fulfilled 24 hours a day, seven days per week within our hospitals, and extends into the community through our physician practices, medical parks, the Arnold Palmer Pavilion for cancer services with UPMC Hillman, and our centers for surgery, lung, sleep and advanced wound care.

As the story of the pandemic unfolded, the dedication of our providers who seamlessly continued to safely care for our all of our patients inspired us, made us cheer and often brought tears to our eyes. You inspire us, too. Our exceptionally generous donors and volunteers stood with us and helped us support our patients and our remarkable staff. Daily, the sincere gratitude for your generosity is expressed throughout the Excela Health family.

Due to pandemic restrictions and guidelines, our friends at Home Care & Hospice were unable to host their annual Rizzo’s Neighborhood Italian Christmas dinner in December. We asked you, our donors, to consider a gift in lieu of attending and you responded with contributions of over $21,000.

This included a generous gift of $10,000 from the members of the Westmoreland Hospital Auxiliary.

Responding to a special need for equipment, the members of the Latrobe Area Hospital Aid Society made a very meaningful donation of $10,000 to purchase five much needed Dinemaps™ for Excela Latrobe Hospital to help with patient monitoring.

Excellence in Nursing Awards | Several Excela Health nurses are among Pittsburgh Magazine’s Excellence In Nursing honorees for 2020. Each was lauded by the magazine’s panel of judges for their exemplary work within their areas of expertise.

EMERGING LEADER – W. Michael Widmann, MSN, RN-BC, CCRN, clinical informatics coordinator, Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital CLINICIAN – Charity Patterson, RN-BC, Progressive Care Unit, Excela Health Frick Hospital PANDEMIC RESPONSE HERO — Kathleen Rosatti, MSN, RN, Director of Clinical Outcomes Management, Patient Safety, Infection Control, Regulatory and Accreditation for Excela Health System. This new category was added in recognition of the remarkable innovation the nursing community showed while rising to meet the challenges of COVID-19.

Players in your foursome or names of dinner guests:

_____ I would like to attend the dinner only (spouses, guests and nongolfers welcome) - $50 each. (Indicate names below.)

Name:

Address:

Phone #:

Registration deadline is Friday, May XX, 2021.

Make checks payable to LAH Charitable Foundation and return in the enclosed pre-addressed envelope.

Federal tax I.D. number: 25-1750654

Both the Aid Society and the Westmoreland Latrobe Hospital Auxiliary continue to be steadfast and essential Oncology Services partners as they each continue to find ways to support Excela Health.

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A bright spot during the pandemic is the ability to gather outdoors, and so we will hold the Latrobe Area Hospital Charitable Foundation Golf Outing on June 18 at the Ligonier Country Club. Golfers will be playing in support of Excela Health’s Surgical Oncology Center of Excellence at Latrobe Hospital.

The 30th annual Frick Golf Outing will be held at the Greensburg Country Club on September 17.

Proceeds will support the Frick Hospital equipment fund. Please visit our foundation website to register for either event.

Latrobe Area Hospital Charitable Foundation Golf Outing to benefit

Latrobe Hospital These life-changing contributions are the result of Oncology Services

an incredibly caring community, committed Friday, June volunteers and18, the2021 benefactors who support us.

Ligonier Club Thank youCountry for all that you have done and continue Ligonier, to do. Every giftPA tells a story and your story is one that improves lives, gives hope and inspires us all.

For that, I am truly grateful.

Albert J. Novak Chief Philanthropy Officer

To learn more about our foundations, visit ExcelaHealth.org, search FOUNDATION.

COVID Update from March 2020 to April 2021 | 50,271 36,695 7,515 1,768

Number of Vaccine Doses Given Number of Unique People Tested for COVID Number of Unique People Positive for COVID UTILIZATION

Number of Inpatients/Observations Hospitalized As COVID-Positive

296

636,050 464,552 110,125 4,032 47,791 15,564

Inforgraphic to come.

Masks Gowns N95 Masks Face Shields Exam Gloves (Boxes) Disinfectant Wipes (Containers)

Number of COVID-Positive Deaths

Excela Health was aided in implementing the Phase 1 Healthcare Worker COVID-19 Vaccination Program that began in mid-December thanks to a $250,000 grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation.

This is the second gift channeled through the Latrobe Area Hospital Charitable Foundation for pandemic response. In 2020, the RK Mellon Foundation provided $250,000 from its COVID Emergency Operating Support Fund that helped the health system offset crisis-driven needs and costs that were not addressed by either federal or state stimulus.

Grant Helps Meet Patient Financial Need | Serving those who have financial needs as well as medical needs is central to Excela Health fulfilling its mission as a not-for-profit health system.

During Fiscal Year 2020, Excela Health provided $5.6 million in charity or uncompensated care. This unfunded, or underfunded community benefit assists patients whose annual household income often falls below the federal poverty level, which for a single person is currently $19,320.

In Calendar Year 2020, nearly 4,000 patients from across Excela Health's service area, which includes Westmoreland County, southern Indiana County, and northern Fayette County, qualified for charity care at 100 percent.

Thanks to two Medical Block Grants awarded by the Addison Gibson Foundation and channeled through Excela Health's Foundations, 20 patients became eligible for special assistance that helped to cover expenses incurred by Excela.

Working with updated program guidelines, Excela Health’s Patient Financial Services division was able to identify patients’ financial need and help cover their urgent medical and surgical services. In most instances, the patient had undergone an unplanned surgery to address an urgent health need.

Having received medical block grants in the past, Excela Health is grateful to the Addison Gibson Foundation for the ongoing support.

The Excela Westmoreland Hospital Auxiliary recently made a $10,000 donation to the Westmoreland Frick Hospital Foundation to benefit Excela Health Home Care & Hospice. The funds will provide educational materials and support/care packages for Hospice families, items that may be needed by family members when caring for their loved ones. On hand for the check presentation (left to right) Excela Westmoreland Hospital Auxiliary President Darlene Delaini; Excela Health Home Care & Hospice Manager Jennifer Faris and Excela Health Chief Philanthropy Officer Albert J. Novak.

Upgrade Improves Mental Health Outlook | The children and adolescents who first received behavioral health services on the 4North inpatient unit at Excela Latrobe Hospital have long since graduated. Unfortunately the "look" of this patient treatment area never moved on – until now.

A much needed refresh which included new paint, flooring, wall rails and LED lighting has been completed with support from the Latrobe Area Hospital Charitable Foundation. Proceeds totaling $40,000 from the foundation's 2019 golf outing were earmarked for this service and helped to improve the environment of care.

Equally important is the enhancement of security through panoramic video surveillance and keyless entry for access control.

Modern patient lockers in plain view of the nurses station offer a place for personal belongings, while patient rooms reflect the latest in safety features including new beds specifically designed for patient safety.

While the makeover offers a highly functional and safe setting for care, there's also a bit of whimsy to

delight these younger patients. A brightly colored gumball machine created by art therapist Maureen Ritson is the perfect place Updates include new flooring, lighting and paint to identify the members of the treatment team. The bright neutral color scheme also gives the art therapists a blank canvas to decorate seasonally Elsewhere, thanks to chalkboard paint, patient creativity will be encouraged during therapy sessions that utilize artistic self-expression as a means of problem-solving. And post-discharge these walls become a clean slate for future admissions.

Completing the upgrade in this special unit was difficult, given the increased demand for treatment over the past year. "COVID has been a particularly challenging time for young people," explained Susan Overly, clinical director of Behavioral Health Services. "Many struggled with remote learning and any feelings of isolation were compounded because they had lost the social support previously found in school. We saw more acutely ill teens who required a longer admission, which meant working around any cosmetic improvements that were occurring."

Trusts Offer Lifeline To Most Vulnerable | Thanks to a $10,000 gift to the Westmoreland/Frick Hospital Foundation from the Charles B. Hollingsworth and Lucille R. Hollingsworth trusts, the Excela Health Pharmacy is assisting behavioral health patients who have been hospitalized on the adult inpatient unit at Excela Westmoreland Hospital with a successful discharge.

The Meds to Beds program offers Westmoreland Hospital patients the opportunity to fill the initial prescription of a new medication through Excela's onsite outpatient pharmacy rather than travel to a community retail pharmacy after discharge. For those who choose to utilize this service, the pharmacist handles insurance authorization, collects the co-pay where applicable and delivers the medicine to the patient's room.

Under this iteration of the program, the behavioral health patient's co-pay for a new prescription may

be covered through the trust gift and the remainder billed to insurance. Having the medication in hand when leaving the hospital and helping with the upfront out-of-pocket expense help eliminate barriers to compliance and aid in recovery. Eligible patients include those who did not have money with them at the time of admission, or those who are unable to pay at all.

George Mizikar, Director of Behavioral Health Services, emphasized the significance of this gift particularly during COVID-19. "If patients had any level of anxiety, the pandemic found it. They were fearful of leaving their home to get medication, or taking public transportation. Telepsychiatry has been extremely beneficial during this time, as have the outreach calls from our therapists. The Meds to Beds Program is invaluable to serving this vulnerable population."

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A Good Steward ... In Word and Deed | There are many ties that bind Joe Scarpo to the Latrobe community. Having grown up in Crabtree, he attended Greater Latrobe School District and nearby Saint Vincent College and welcomed his children into the world at Latrobe Hospital. Now those offspring have children of their own and as a new grandparent there's certainly good reason why he might consider stepping away from community service or a successful career as a financial advisor.

But Joe has no such plans on either front, and in truth sees his business acumen as part and parcel of his longtime service to the Latrobe Area Hospital Charitable Foundation. Joe has been board Treasurer for more years than he can remember, and he continues to serve as a manifestation of his core belief that "if you have been blessed in your life, you have a responsibility to share those blessings with others."

"We have had extremely good success with our investments, which has allowed the foundation to provide seed money for many projects," said Joe, as he mentioned support for the construction of Excela Square at Latrobe, acquisition Joe Scarpo of the DaVinci robotic surgical system, and more recently state-of-the-art imaging technology to enhance cancer care, as a sampling of foundation support. "All of these are valuable assets to our community," he added.

Further, Joe has demonstrated the importance of good stewardship, both of his own resources as well as those of foundation donors - to do the most good now, and be able to continue doing good in the future.

Most importantly, Joe believes these investments make it clear the foundation is a good steward of community resources, and that will in turn make it easier for the community to continue their loyal support. "Whether it's the foundation, Latrobe Hospital, or Excela Health, we exist for the community and because of the community," he added. "It's a working partnership."

To that end, Joe was instrumental in forming the foundation's investment committee to hold market managers accountable for the portfolio's assets, always with an eye toward using those assets to benefit the community by ensuring the hospital and by extension the health system can continue to meet health needs in new and traditional ways.

The Latrobe Area Hospital Aid Society (LAHAS) recently made a $10,000 donation to the Latrobe Area Hospital Charitable Foundation for the purchase of five Dinamaps™ to be used at Excela Latrobe Hospital. The Dinemap is a portable work station which helps nurses and other clinical partners conveniently measure a patient's blood pressure, pulse rate, temperature and oxygen levels. On hand for the check presentation were (left to right) LAHAS President Nancy McKinnon; LAHAS Treasurer Earlene Sano; Excela Health Chief Philanthropy Officer Albert J. Novak; and Excela Latrobe Hospital Vice President, Patient Care Services Maryann Singley.

Pandemic Accelerates Telehealth Adoption | Telehealth technology and its use are not new, but most healthcare providers and patients within Excela Health’s service area would have considered a telephone call to be the extent of it. That all changed with the onset of COVID-19 when it was imperative to adjust the way in which the health system triaged, evaluated and cared for patients to reduce staff exposure to ill persons, preserve personal protective equipment and minimize the impact of patient surges on the hospitals.

diagnose a problem, or conduct a checkup following a procedure when a video visit would allow the clinician to “see” the patient? In some instance, the answer was yes, but often the situations that brought patients to the office were just as easily handled remotely.

Over the past 14 months, more than 250 Excela clinicians have conducted a combined 42,000 telehealth visits using a variety of platforms. To accelerate the practice, Excela’s Information Technology team deployed 400 IPads across the Excela Health Medical Group to effect the audiovisual connection.

And given the widespread use of Zoom, FaceTime, Google Duo and other SmartPhone applications to visually connect with school, work or family and friends, patients of all ages are open to change.

The Family Medicine Residency teaching offices – Excela Square Latrobe Family Medicine, Excela Square Frick Family Medicine and Saltsburg Family Medicine – were already early adopters. For years prior to COVID-19, these offices have conducted 15 to 20 telemedicine psychiatry visits per month, noted program director Mike Semelka, DO. “Prior to the pandemic there had been a lot of momentum, and certainly a desire from patients and healthcare providers, to provide this service,” he said. “COVID-19 jump-started the transition.”

From March 2020 to February 2021, these same practices provided 2,667 telehealth visits (including formal video and phone visits).

Elsewhere, George Mizikar, Director of Behavioral Health Services, saw telehealth visits soar across his service line. “Our patients were grateful for the connection because that helped to dial down the anxiety that existed about being in public during a national health crisis.”

Janice Devine, Excela Health’s Chief Information Officer, believes the urgency created by the pandemic, provided the impetus for payors and providers in all specialties to re-think the traditional office visit. Is it necessary to “touch” the patient to

“Telehealth tears down barriers to care and expands access,” says Devine. “That broadens the health system’s footprint because we are able to reach individuals in new ways.”

The biggest challenge for Devine is assuring patient privacy and HIPAA compliance by choosing the right platform and operationalizing it across the system.

But it’s a problem she is happy to solve, because while the crisis that fueled rethinking the in-person visit may be soon be past, telehealth at Excela Health is here to stay.

Check out a virtual visit the next time you need to check in with your Excela Health provider.

• Routine checkup • Coronavirus concerns • Flu or cold symptoms • Review testing results • Medication review • Obstetrics and gynecology follow-up appointments • Medicare wellness visit • Behavioral health appointments • Post-operative checkup

To learn more about our foundations, visit ExcelaHealth.org, search FOUNDATION.

Michael Szwerc, MD, FACS, using DaVinci Surgical Robot Dear Friends and Colleagues, After more than a year of pandemic challenges, I am pleased to share with you some welcome news about what lies beyond COVID-19 at Excela Latrobe Hospital. Maryann Singley, Vice President of Patient Care Services, recently announced several important enhancements which I believe will further improve patient care and optimize use of the entire hospital.

The Latrobe campus will be serving patients who require oncologic surgical services, involving thoracic, colorectal, breast and other surgical services. Michael Szwerc, MD, FACS, one of the region’s foremost leaders in robotic and minimally invasive thoracic surgery, is the physician champion on the project.

Under Dr. Szwerc’s guidance, this expansion of services at Latrobe Hospital will provide patients with the most up-to-date thoracic surgical technologies and keep their expert care close to home.

Construction has already started within some of operating rooms and plans and designs are completed for updated inpatient acute care areas including the second floor of the ’93 building. Renovations at Laurel Surgical Center along Donohoe Road were also included as part of the overall project.

The Latrobe Area Hospital Charitable Foundation is proud to partner in the expansion of services and the capital improvements they require. The Foundation is committed to supporting programs and initiatives which heighten the quality of care provided at Latrobe Hospital.

As you may recall, the Foundation has shared in the recent Pharmacy upgrades, invested in the state-ofthe-art DaVinci robotic surgical system and funded the HDR brachytherapy program for prostate cancer.

These significant contributions are only possible because of the faithful and generous support of our donors which enables the Foundation to remain an unwavering mainstay for our community.

On behalf of the Foundation and its Board of directors, please accept our deepest gratitude for helping to make a healthier future possible close to home.

Thomas P. Gessner, MD Foundation Board Chairman

Dear Friends, At a Charley Family Shop ‘n Save store, we strive to serve each guest with a friendly smile, provide a clean welcoming space and to have each of our departments fully stocked and ready to serve their needs … not easy tasks this past year. My family has been blessed with a team of associates who have worked tirelessly during the pandemic. From my perspective, I see the Excela Health system in much the same way: a full-service operation with a determined and purposeful team dedicated to serving our community.

Patients come to Excela Westmoreland Hospital for a variety of reasons and each department at Westmoreland Hospital is prepared to meet those needs. State-of-the-art Cardiovascular Institutes provide life-saving diagnosis, testing and surgical intervention. Orthopedics is ready to help patients who require urgent care for fractures and injuries, the Excela Health Family Additions Maternity Center delivers award-winning quality care and of course, the Emergency Departments at both Westmoreland and Frick Hospitals are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Every shared endeavor, whether it is business or healthcare, is better, stronger and more effective when individuals and departments work together. When each department is focused on quality and service, the result is excellence. Our board of trustees is proud of the outstanding care at both Westmoreland Hospital and Frick Hospitals and across the health system.

At the Westmoreland/Frick Hospital Foundation, all of our donors, friends and supporters are part of the Excela Family. THANK YOU for your generosity, your contributions and your unwavering commitment to helping the Foundation and in the end, each other. If you can, I would ask you to please consider supporting the system and excellence in community healthcare with a gift to our Foundation.

Please know that the Foundation and the entire healthcare system, continues to work to improve, identify and support the healthcare needs of each one of us. How so very fortunate we are to have expert healthcare right here in our community!

TGBTG,

WESTMORELAND/FRICK HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

Ray Charley Foundation Board Chairman

There's nothing more fundamental to hospital care than a bed. This Spring, Excela Health is replacing 333 beds across the health system and it's not just patients who will benefit. The staff at Excela Frick Hospital were the first to receive an allotment in March, and considered the long-awaited arrival cause for celebration, as evidenced by the ribbon in the photograph. Delivery to Excela Latrobe followed shortly thereafter, and Excela Westmoreland is slated for a late May or early June distribution. Unit-by-unit training from representatives of bed manufacturer Stryker will assure that all members of the patient care team are familiar with the beds' functionality and safety features.

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Latrobe Area Hospital Charitable Foundation Officers and Directors Thomas P. Gessner, MD, Chair Barbara K. Wang, MD, Vice Chair Douglas A. Clark, Secretary Joseph A. Scarpo, Treasurer David S. DeRose, Esq. Phil A. Dymond Richard Okonak Wylie L. Overly, MD Sam Reiman Phyllis Ruffner Douglas L. Sisson John Sphon William Stavisky, EdD. Reverend Paul Taylor, OSB, PhD. Ruth Tolbert

Westmoreland/Frick Hospital Foundation Officers and Directors Ray T. Charley, Chair Ronald E. Eberhardt, Vice Chair David S. Delisi, Treasurer Edward Miedel, Distribution Committee Chair Carol Williams, Secretary Charles W. Anderson Karl Eisaman Richard D. Harrer Jr. Jacqueline Horrall, Ph.D William A. Jenkins, MD John P. Kline Hon. Charles H. Loughran Gerald D. Lucia David Lynn Don Scott John Sphon Jess M. Stairs

Administration and Staff

TWO IN A ROW! ONCE AGAIN RANKED AMONG THE NATION’S BEST

The Family Additions Maternity Center at Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital remains ranked among the nation’s best, and the only one in southwestern Pennsylvania featured in the Best Maternity Hospitals 2021 edition of Newsweek, which publishes the honor roll annually. Excela Health is one of 217 hospitals across 36 states on this list which is compiled by the news magazine in partnership with The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit organization that reports on the safety and quality performance of U.S. healthcare facilities. To be considered for the list, hospitals had to demonstrate adherence to a variety of standards for excellence in maternity care including low rates of C-section, episiotomy and early elective deliveries and follow important protocols to protect mothers and babies. Though these are standards aligned with medical research and best practices, not all hospitals achieve them.

Newsweek's Best Maternity Care Hospitals are an elite group of hospitals demonstrating the highest performance in the United States.

John Sphon, Chief Executive Officer Albert J. Novak, Jr., MPM, Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer, Excela Health Holly DiBiasi, Manager Maureen Crevak, Executive Assistant Kathryn Frazier, Advancement Services Coordinator

NEW! Childbirth education is moving online as Excela Health nurses meet the changing needs of expectant families. Virtual classes become a 24/7 resource before and after delivery. Another positive adaptation prompted by COVID-19.

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