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Kissinger Bigatel & Brower REALTORS turns 90!!

Posted on by Melissa Brown

State College-based and locally-owned real estate firm Kissinger Bigatel & Brower REALTORS is proud to celebrate their 90th year of serving the real estate needs of central Pennsylvania.

Kissinger Bigatel & Brower REALTORS opened for business as The Gordon Kissinger Agency in a one-room office on the second floor above The Corner Room in 1933 – the same year in which the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers were founded.

In 1983, the firm merged with Ralph F. Brower and Associates, and then in 1993 with Associated Realty (Mark Bigatel), taking on its current name, Kissinger Bigatel & Brower REALTORS — often referred to simply as KBB. The company currently resides at 2300 South Atherton Street in State College and can be found online at 1kbb.com.

Over the years, the ownership of the firm has had a great impact on the local landscape. Some of the developments that the company has had a hand in developing include Park Hills, Dalevue, Centre Hills, West Park Hills and The Gates, to name a few. The firm is comprised of over 50 full-time brokers and over 50 support staff.

KBB services the residential, commercial, industrial, farm and land needs of the community. While real estate is becoming more regional in nature, most of the company’s activity is in Centre County. Year in and year out, KBB agents represent approximately 50 percent of the local market activity (Source: Bright MLS).

KBB agents are members of the Centre County, Pennsylvania and National Association of Realtors. The firm now has a broad-based ownership and is led by Managing Broker and Partner Liz Piazza. KBB has been recognized as the Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year.

The KBB agents take great pride in impacting their community. All agents donate into a pool that supports local charities through monthly contributions. Just some of the organizations the effort, referred to as KBB Cares, has supported are The United Way, Youth Service Bureau, Housing Transitions, Out of the Cold, THON, Salvation Army and Toys for Tots.

KBB feels so fortunate to be in the business of making dreams come true in one of the most wonderful communities in the world to live, work and play. They look forward to the next 90!!

Kish Bank Appoints Keith Crissman Chief Revenue Officer

Posted on by Melissa Brown

STATE COLLEGE, PA – November 17, 2023 – Kish Bank is pleased to announce the appointment of Pennsylvania native Keith Crissman to the position of Executive Vice President, Chief Revenue Officer. In this role, Crissman will develop and execute strategies to drive revenue growth, customer acquisition and retention, and market expansion. He will lead a team of high-performing executives fostering a customer-centric culture to enhance customer satisfaction and customer loyalty.

“We are excited to welcome Keith to the Kish team. His executive experience in financial services brings significant capacity to help Kish continue to grow while maintaining our community commitment,” said Greg Hayes, CEO and President of Kish Bank. Hayes added, “Keith embraces our core values and our belief that we can make lives better with an unwavering focus on fulfilling our clients’ financial needs.”

Crissman’s 35 years of banking experience includes 24 years with Alabama-based Regions Bank, where he held multi-state line of business executive roles in Retail Banking, Wealth Management, and Treasury Management, as well as executive-level geography leadership roles. Most recently, Crissman was Head of Business Banking for Simmons Bank based in Little Rock, AR, where he was responsible for defining, building, and executing business banking strategies for companies with annual revenues of $10 million and under.

A native of Carlisle, PA, Crissman earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. He is also a graduate of the Graduate School of Retail Bank Management at the University of Virginia. Crissman shares Kish Bank’s passion for community and has held leadership positions at several nonprofit organizations, including United Way, the LSU Health Science Foundation, and the American Heart Association. Crissman and his wife, Jennifer, are in the process of relocating from Texas to State College.

About Kish Bank
Kish Bank is a $1.4 billion regional community bank that operates 18 offices and financial centers serving Centre, Mifflin, Huntingdon, Blair, and Juniata counties, and northeastern Ohio. Other business units of Kish Bank include: Kish Insurance, Kish Financial Solutions, Kish Benefits Consulting, and Kish Travel. Kish Bank is a subsidiary of Kish Bancorp, Inc., trading under the OTCQX stock ticker symbol of KISB. For additional information, please visit MyKish.com.

Geisinger honored by American Medical Association for promoting well-being of health care workers

Posted on by Melissa Brown


DANVILLE, Pa. — Geisinger has earned recognition from the American Medical Association (AMA) as a Joy in Medicine™ recognized organization.

The prestigious AMA distinction is granted only to organizations that attest to the rigorous criteria of the Joy in Medicine™ Health System Recognition Program and demonstrate a commitment to preserving the well-being of clinical care team members through proven efforts to combat work-related stress and burnout.

“While there is still work to do, this recognition is a testament to our commitment to building a culture that allows our Geisinger family to thrive both personally and professionally,” said Susan Parisi, M.D., chief wellness officer. “When we create change at a system level to truly improve our care team members’ well-being, our patients and our entire Geisinger community benefit. We’re excited to join this collaboration of like-minded organizations where the mental health and well-being of our care team members is a priority, and we’re eager to continue this important work.”

Burnout rates among the nation’s physicians and other health care professionals spiked as the COVID-19 pandemic placed acute stress on care teams and exacerbated long-standing system issues. While the worst days of the pandemic are past, the lingering impact of work-related burnout remains an obstacle to achieving national health goals.

“Health organizations that have earned recognition from the AMA’s Joy in Medicine Health System Recognition Program are leading a national movement that has declared the well-being of health professionals to be an essential element for providing high-quality care to patients, families and communities,” said AMA President Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, M.D., M.P.H. “Each Joy in Medicine recognized organization is distinguished as among the nation’s best at creating a culture of wellness that makes a difference in the lives of clinical care teams.”

Geisinger was recognized for its efforts to improve employee well-being through its Center for Professionalism and Well-being (CPW) — a team that offers Geisinger employees a variety of services related to mental health, burnout mitigation, community building, peer support and crisis response. In 2022, Geisinger named Dr. Parisi the health system’s first chief wellness officer to oversee the CPW and guide the implementation of a systemwide strategy to improve the mental health, professional fulfillment and overall well-being of the Geisinger family.

Since its inception in 2019, the Joy in Medicine™ Health System Recognition Programs recognize more than 100 organizations across the country. In 2023, a total of 72 health systems nationwide earned recognition with documented efforts to reduce system-level drivers of work-related burnout and demonstrated competencies in commitment, assessment, leadership, efficiency of practice environment, teamwork and support. 

Learn more about the AMA Joy in Medicine™ Health System Recognition Program at //ama-assn.org/joyinmedicine.

2023 Dr. Billie Willits Memorial Scholarship Awarded to Holidaysburg Grad/Saint Francis Freshman Gavin Ross

Posted on by Melissa Brown

(Altoona, PA)   Gavin Ross, a graduate of Holidaysburg Area High School was awarded the 2023 Dr. Billie Willits Memorial Scholarship from the Skills Foundation.  Now a freshman at Saint Francis University, Ross received $3,000 toward his education from a scholarship fund to benefit the children of employees of Skills of Central Pa.  The annual presentation honors the memory of long time Skills Board Member Dr. Billie Willits. 

Ross maintained a 4.0 grade point average as a Holidaysburg student and was an active volunteer in the community.  As a member of the Key Club, a volunteer for the Women’s Club Food Drive and a volunteer tutor at the Public Library and at his high school, Ross admirably gives back to his community.  In the latest chapter of his academic career, Ross is studying chemistry at Saint Francis University as a full-time student.   

Ross was eligible for the scholarship because his mother, B.J. Johannides, works as a behavior support specialist for Skills of Central Pa in Blair County.  Ross’s application and essay were selected by the scholarship committee of the Skills Foundation, citing several of the factors mentioned above, which made him a deserving recipient. 

The Dr. Billie S. Willits Memorial Scholarship is presented in honor and memory of Dr. Willits who was a member of the Skills of Central Pa Board of Directors for 20 years, including two terms as board chair. Dr. Willits passed away in 2019 and has truly left a void.  She was as a dedicated supporter of the Skills mission as well as the Centre County communities.

The Centre Knitters Guild Honors Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Posted on by Melissa Brown
Centre County Knitters Goal Is 100 Knitted Knockers for Local Survivors and to Help Spread the Word about Breast Cancer Prevention and Treatment

One in eight women in the U.S. will develop breast cancer, as will a small number of men. 
  
State College, Pa. – October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the Centre Knitters Guild is out to broaden that awareness and support survivors in Centre County with their campaign kickoff, “Knitted Knockers Night,” on Thursday, October 5th at 7 p.m. at the Patton Township Building Meeting Room, 100 Patton Plaza, State College.

The evening’s program will include a talk titled, “Early Detection is Best Protection” presented by Angelique Cygan, Oncology Breast Navigator at Mount Nittany Health. Guild members, working toward a goal of knitting 100 Knitted Knockers™ by the end of October, will display those they’ve completed and continue working on those in progress during a question and answer period with Cygan.  

“Knitting is what we do. So for the month of October, we’re committing our hands and hearts to knitting a large supply of a surprisingly effective and comfortable breast prosthetic invention called the Knitted Knocker™. We also want to spread the word about the importance of screenings,” Anne Hoag, Guild President said. She added, “Our Knockers will be donated to two Centre County distribution centers, one at Geisinger Mammography at Gray’s Woods and another at Mount Nittany Medical Center.”

Angelique Cygan, the evening’s speaker, agrees there’s a need to improve awareness across the Centre Region. “Screenings are so important. Women – and men – should familiarize themselves with screening guidelines. When diagnosed early, treatment can be more effective and survival rates are much higher. Getting the word out through partner organizations like the Centre Knitters Guild is key,” said Cygan.

Cygan invites everyone to learn more about opportunities for both the insured and uninsured, and can be reached at angelique.cygan@mountnittany.org or 814.231.6870.

Founded in 2003, the Centre Knitters Guild is dedicated to promoting the art and joy of knitting and crocheting. With more than 50 members, TCKG offers its members fellowship, informative monthly programs, workshops, field trips, discounts on yarn, an annual members-only retreat, and the area’s largest celebration of all things yarn, its annual “For the Love of Fiber,” open to the public, a day-long convention, show and market held each March. TCKG meets on the first Thursday of each month at the Patton Township Building. To learn more about The Centre Knitters Guild, to join and to access the blog go to centreknittersguild.com. To learn more about For the Love of Fiber (FloF), centreknittersguild.com/flof-details.  More information about breast cancer and Breast Cancer Awareness Month can be found at nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-awareness-month.For more information about local breast screening, cancer treatment and services, visit mountnittany.orgTo obtain free patterns and instructions on making Knitted Knockers, go to knittedknockers.org.