Spanier addresses Hershey-Geisinger, Dickinson School of Law at meeting

Appearing before the University Faculty Senate for the first time since the mergers with Dickinson School of Law and Geisinger Health System, University President Graham Spanier yesterday answered questions from faculty senators.

"All . . . have ramifications and the potential to change Penn State in significant ways," said Scott Kretchmar, senate chair, who gave Spanier the floor to field questions.

A senator from the College of Liberal Arts asked Spanier if a bigger bureaucracy (Hershey Medical Center and Geisinger Health System combined) would provide better patient access to doctors.

A large institution provides benefits and choices a smaller institution may not be capable of providing, Spanier said.

"Penn State is not just a large bureaucratic enterprise . . . there are certain benefits to being a part of something larger," he said. "There is a broader sense of opportunities. Doors opened up."

Many of these opportunities have affected the patient's options, Spanier explained. He spoke of doctors' newfound ability to refer patients to either facility for the best care and patients' ability to make decisions about their health care. Both facilities will carry the Penn State name.

Spanier also clarified the new Penn State Geisinger Health System is a Penn State-related entity, not "precisely" Penn State.

"There's a whole transitional system in place," he said. "We're working hard to make this a fair transition for everyone."

Communication is the most important aspect of the merger and the transition that will take place because of it, Spanier said.

"There are transition teams set up, extensive employee meetings to answer questions about job security, a hotline for questions and electronic mail communication system," he said.

The merger and transition are not going to be perfect for everybody, he said, but the objective is to make sure it is operated in the most efficient manner.

"We're going to maintain cost effectiveness hopefully by not lopping off huge numbers of employees," Spanier said.