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Author: Jules Slater

Reliance Bank Names Leadership for New Bellefonte Branch

Posted on by Jules Slater

Bellefonte, PA – [November 25, 2025] – Reliance Bank is announcing the hiring of two experienced community banking professionals to support relationship development & customer service at its new Bellefonte branch, scheduled to open in early 2026.

Greg Wendt, Vice President and Senior Commercial Banker, will play a key role in cultivating and managing business relationships in the Bellefonte area, where he has spent most of his banking career. Greg’s nearly 30 years of experience in commercial lending and banking will help to support local businesses looking to grow in the rapidly expanding Centre County region. Greg is actively involved in the Centre County United Way, serves as the Treasurer of the Bellefonte Area Industrial Development Authority, and is a member of the Local Advisory Committee (LAC) at CPI – Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology.

Nichole McClellan, Assistant Branch Manager, will lead day-to-day operations at the Bellefonte branch. Before joining Reliance Bank, Nichole worked in financial service roles locally, where she built strong relationships with residents and local businesses.

“Greg and Nichole both share a mission to deliver community focused banking, and their presence will help us build trusted and lasting relationships in Bellefonte,” said Reliance Bank President & CEO Phil Freeman. “Their personal connection to Bellefonte, combined with their professional experience, makes them the right leaders for our new branch.”

Reliance Bank has been actively lending in Bellefonte for the past twenty years since opening its State College branch at 100 Hawbaker Industrial Drive. The new Bellefonte branch will be located at 801 E. Bishop Street, a site formerly occupied by PNC Bank.

About Reliance Bank

Reliance Bank is a community bank serving Central Pennsylvania. Products and services include checking and savings accounts, personal loans, mortgages, lines of credit, commercial loans, agricultural loans, cash management, digital banking, and more. Reliance Bank prides itself on providing exceptional personal and commercial banking services since 1940. For more information, visit www.reliancebank.bank. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.

Geisinger recognized as top employer by military organizations

Posted on by Jules Slater

DANVILLE, Pa. – Geisinger has been recognized as a top employer for its continued support of military veterans and active service members with two recent designations. The Pennsylvania-based health system earned the 2026 Military Friendly® Employer with Gold distinction designation by VIQTORY and was also recognized by Military Times on its 2025 Best for Vets: Employers list.

This is the 7th consecutive year Geisinger has been recognized with a Military Friendly® Employers designation and the 4th year in a row the system has achieved the gold ranking. It’s also the 6th consecutive year Geisinger has been recognized by Military Times. 

Both honors demonstrate Geisinger’s ongoing commitment and efforts to building programs and opportunities for military veterans.

Companies earning the Military Friendly® Employers designation were evaluated using public data sources and survey responses. More than 1,200 organizations participated in the Military Friendly® survey.

Methodology, criteria and weightings were determined by VIQTORY with input from the Military Friendly® Advisory Council of independent leaders from the military recruitment community. Final ratings were determined by combining an organization’s survey score with an assessment of the organization’s ability to meet thresholds for recruitment, new hire retention, employee turnover and promotion and advancement of veterans and military employees.

Geisinger will be showcased as a 2026 Military Friendly® Employer in the winter issue of G.I. Jobs® magazine and on militaryfriendly.com. 

For the Best for Vets recognition, Military Times evaluates the areas of greatest importance to transitioning service members, veterans and their families when looking for an employer. Recruitment and employment practices, along with retention and support programs, were given the most weight in scoring and final rankings.

Geisinger employs more than 900 veterans and active-duty service members throughout the system. As part of its commitment to the military and its veterans, Geisinger offers a paid military leave benefit, which allows service members employed by Geisinger to be paid for time at annual trainings, encampments and drills. It’s also part of a military fellowship program that eases the transition of active-duty service members looking to move into a civilian career.

To learn more about Geisinger’s veteran programs and career opportunities, visit jobs.geisinger.org/veterans.

About Geisinger

Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across central and northeastern Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the nonprofit system generates more than $8 billion in annual revenues across 163 care sites — including 10 hospital campuses — and Geisinger Health Plan, with more than half a million members in commercial and government plans. Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 500 medical professionals annually and is conducting more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With more than 27,000 employees, including 1,800 employed physicians and 5,200 registered nurses, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers, having an estimated economic impact of $16.8 billion on the state’s economy. In 2024, Geisinger joined Risant Health, a nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country. Learn more at geisinger.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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Geisinger Health Plan recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a 2026 Best Insurance Company for Medicare Advantage

Posted on by Jules Slater

DANVILLE, Pa. – U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in health care rankings and consumer advice, has named Geisinger Health Plan (GHP) a 2026 Best Insurance Company for Medicare Advantage in Pennsylvania.

The ratings of the Best Insurance Companies for Medicare Advantage evaluate private insurance companies on the basis of U.S. News’ proprietary analysis of 30+ quality measures published by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Less than one-third of Medicare Advantage providers nationwide were named Best Insurance Companies for Medicare Advantage.

“This is once again a testament to Geisinger Health Plan’s continued commitment to providing high-quality medical coverage and excellent member services to Medicare beneficiaries across Pennsylvania,” said Karen Murphy, PhD, RN, president of Geisinger Health Plan.

“U.S. News’ comprehensive, data-driven methodology recognizes the insurance companies that deliver the best Medicare Advantage plans,” said Sumita Singh, executive vice president and general manager of Health at U.S. News.

“By evaluating every company’s Medicare Advantage plans based on dozens of quality measures and recognizing top performers in key areas – including Screening & Prevention and Care Continuity – we’re highlighting those that deliver superior plans and hopefully better outcomes for beneficiaries,” Singh added. “U.S. News’ Medicare Advantage ratings are a powerful tool for beneficiaries as they make one of their most important health decisions.”

For the 2026 edition of Best Insurance Companies for Medicare Advantage, U.S. News considered CMS data and quality measure results for every evaluated insurance company’s Medicare Advantage health plans for the 2026 calendar year. U.S. News, in consultation with industry experts, selected 30+ CMS quality measures and assigned each measure a weight reflecting its relevance to consumers. The results for a provider’s plans were averaged together, with greater weight assigned to plans having the most seniors enrolled. Additionally, U.S. News calculated insurers’ ratings for three specific Medicare Advantage award categories: Screening & Prevention, Care Continuity and Highest Satisfaction.

For more information, visit Best Insurance Companies for Medicare Advantage.

Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period ends Sunday, Dec. 7. Click here or call 800-482-8163 to learn more about GHP Medicare Advantage options.

About Geisinger

Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across central and northeastern Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the nonprofit system generates more than $8 billion in annual revenues across 163 care sites — including 10 hospital campuses — and Geisinger Health Plan, with more than half a million members in commercial and government plans. Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 500 medical professionals annually and is conducting more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With more than 27,000 employees, including 1,800 employed physicians and 5,200 registered nurses, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers, having an estimated economic impact of $16.8 billion on the state’s economy. In 2024, Geisinger joined Risant Health, a nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country. Learn more at geisinger.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.

About U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report is the global leader for journalism that empowers consumers, citizens, business leaders and policy officials to make confident decisions in all aspects of their lives and communities. A multifaceted media company, U.S. News provides unbiased rankings, independent reporting and analysis, and consumer advice to millions of people on USNews.com each month. A pillar in Washington for more than 90 years, U.S. News is the trusted home for in-depth and exclusive insights on education, health, politics, the economy, personal finance, travel, automobiles, real estate, careers and consumer products and services.

Geisinger Lewistown Hospital earns national accolades for quality, safety

Posted on by Jules Slater

Honor includes Leapfrog A Safety grade

LEWISTOWN, Pa. – Geisinger Lewistown Hospital earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group — a national recognition of excellence for protecting patients from preventable harm and errors. This is the sixth straight quarter the hospital received the honor.

Geisinger Lewistown Hospital announced earlier this year it also earned the highest score for quality from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), joining an elite group of hospitals across the country with 5-Star ratings for the latest measuring period.

“Geisinger has been the trusted name for health care in our communities for more than 100 years,” said Sabrina Sumner, D.O., chief medical officer for Geisinger’s western region. “By earning an ‘A’ from Leapfrog, we’re showing our patients that trust is well earned. When they visit Geisinger Lewistown Hospital, they can feel confident that they’re in the safest, most capable hands in the entire country.”

The Leapfrog Group, a national health care nonprofit, assigns grades from “A” to “F” to almost 3,000 general hospitals across the country. The latest grade is based on more than 30 performance measures that track errors, injuries, accidents and infections, as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm.

“This award reflects the tremendous hard work and heart our teams put into providing the safest and highest-quality care for our patients,” said Stacey Osborne, vice president and chief nursing officer for Geisinger Lewistown Hospital. “We’re so proud to see our staff and providers recognized for their dedication to our patients and the community.”  

About Geisinger 

Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across central and northeastern Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the nonprofit system generates more than $8 billion in annual revenues across 163 care sites — including 10 hospital campuses — and Geisinger Health Plan, with more than half a million members in commercial and government plans. Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and is conducting more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With more than 27,000 employees, including 1,800 employed physicians and 5,200 registered nurses, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers, having an estimated economic impact of $16.8 billion on the state’s economy. In 2024, Geisinger joined Risant Health, a nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country. Learn more at geisinger.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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Celebrate Local Makers & Science — at the 6th Annual Rivet Winter Market in State College

Posted on by Jules Slater

State College, PA – Get ready to shop, create and celebrate community at the 6th annual Rivet Winter Market, taking place Saturday & Sunday, November 15 & 16, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at 1224 N. Atherton Street, State College, PA. Free admission and plenty of fun for all ages!

Why You Should Make a Day of It

  • Over 70+ local vendors: Pottery, glass, woodworking, home goods, art, fiber-arts, stationery, jewellery, chain-mail, and more, ALL in one place.
  • Shopping both outside and inside: Wander the vendor booths, then grab lunch at one of our food trucks before you head inside for the Customization Station and Maker Booth.
  • Our ever-popular Customization Station is back! Come personalize laser-etched notebooks, pet ID tags, keychains, and necklaces, perfect for any human (or pet) in your life.
  • Families: FREE admission cost to Discovery Space thanks to the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau. Live children’s music concerts (12-2 p.m. each day) plus face-painting, food trucks, the prize-wheel fundraiser for Discovery Space & The Rivet, and much more.
  • Gift-Wrapping Station: Get crafty and use our supplies to wrap up your market haul! Suggested donation appreciated.
  • Additional shopping highlights inside: pick up giftable memberships, science kits, customize your own lab coat using our heat-press (Winter Market exclusive), or grab a stingray plushy, and while you’re in the building, stop by and wish Pearl the stingray a “Happy First Winter Market!”
  • This event is more than shopping; it’s gifts for good. Proceeds support our nonprofit mission of providing STEM and maker experiences in State College and across Central PA. Choose a gift, spin the prize wheel, bid in the silent auction, volunteer in the Give-Back Zone to assemble kits for our Little Free LABraries, and know you’re making a difference.

Event Details

  • When: Saturday & Sunday, November 15 & 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Where: Discovery Space & The Rivet Makerspace, 1224 N. Atherton Street, State College, PA
  • Parking/Shuttle: Off-site parking with shuttle service; park at Radio Park Elementary or Giant Northland Center (near gas pumps / clothing donation box).
  • Admission: Free

A Quote from Executive Director, Michele Crowl, PhD

“It’s been inspiring to see the Winter Market grow bigger and more meaningful each year,” said Michele Crowl, PhD. “Beyond the beautiful handmade gifts, this event reflects our mission in action: inspiring curiosity, creativity, and connection among learners and makers of all ages.”

About Discovery Space and The Rivet

Discovery Space is a children’s science centre inspiring curiosity and lifelong learning through hands-on exhibits and outreach. The Rivet Makerspace is a teen-to-adult makerspace enabling creative projects, workshops and community-driven experiences. Together, this annual Winter Market serves as their biggest fundraiser of the year, fueling programs that benefit the region.