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Category: Blog

Mount Nittany Medical Center receives national recognition

Posted on by Jeannine Lozier

Mount Nittany Health is pleased to share yet another national recognition, with Mount Nittany Medical Center acknowledged by U.S. News & World Report as a High Performing Hospital in six procedures/conditions: Heart Attack, Heart Failure, Kidney Failure, Stroke, Knee Replacement, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).


Notably, Ryan Burton, DO, and the Emergency Department at Mount Nittany Medical Center were just recognized for setting a new paradigm in stroke care. Their ability to diagnose stroke symptoms, initiate appropriate protocols, and administer thrombolytic treatment within a short timeframe ensures the best possible outcomes for our patients.

“At Mount Nittany Health we pride ourselves on our commitment to outstanding clinical, patient-centered care,” said Kathleen Rhine, President and CEO of Mount Nittany Health. “This national recognition is a testament to our team who consistently goes above and beyond to provide exceptional care to our patients.”

According to U.S. News & World Report, the Best Hospitals 2023-2024 procedures and conditions ratings evaluate almost every hospital in the U.S. that admits patients in 21 of the most common procedures and conditions. U.S. News evaluated more than 4,300 hospitals to generate procedure and condition ratings.

“For 34 years, U.S. News has provided data-informed rankings to help patients and their doctors find the best hospital to treat their illness or condition,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News. “Fewer than half of evaluated hospitals earned any High Performing rating. Hospitals that are High Performing have excelled in providing high-quality care in specific procedures and/or conditions.”

Mount Nittany Medical Center recently received a Five-Star Quality Rating by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for the fifth consecutive reporting period, and was also recently named a “World’s Best Hospital 2023” and “America’s Best Maternity Hospitals” by Newsweek and has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of ApprovalTM for quality care and patient safety. In addition, the American Heart Association has honored Mount Nittany Medical Center with the 2023 Get with the Guidelines Gold Plus Award.

Intrada Technologies Announces Hiring of Cybersecurity Technician

Posted on by Jeannine Lozier

Intrada Technologies is proud to announce the recent hire of Caleb Hill. Hill recently joined Intrada full-time, as a Cybersecurity Technician, after working for over a year on a part-time basis. During that time, he was working on finishing his bachelor’s degree in information assurance & cyber security from the Pennsylvania College of Technology. He graduated and received his degree in May 2023. Hill will be responsible for safeguarding client computer systems, networks, and data from unauthorized access, theft, and damage.

His background in linguistics and poetry and his distinct Luddite streak (he got his first cell phone when he started with Intrada) make Caleb’s road to IT proficiency an unlikely one. His only previous experience with classic tech topics involved a summer fling with Python that ended in technical difficulties and a brief fascination with binary math. However, after two years of Penn Tech’s cyber security program, Caleb discovered Intrada Technologies at a job fair and was thrown into the fast-paced MSP environment.

Through a year of part-time work, his knowledge and understanding of IT soared to new heights. This experience gave him invaluable insights and practical skills that transformed his understanding of the field. He now enjoys working on the Intrada team, using his newfound IT knowledge to help others while working with the security operations team to design and implement cybersecurity services. He has recently completed the MS-900 Security Fundamentals certification from Microsoft and researches and writes about security topics.

David Steele, co-founder of Intrada Technologies, said, “Caleb has been an amazing addition to the Intrada team. He is very dedicated, pays attention to details, is loved by customers, supports other staff without being asked and continues to advance his knowledge to benefit the services we offer. Caleb is also very competitive and that was evident while watching him play for Intrada’s intramural soccer team.”
Intrada Technologies

Intrada Technologies
Intrada Technologies is a full-service web development and network management company focusing on creating ongoing, trusted partnerships with each of our clients. We ensure our clients have what they require to run their businesses with maximum efficiency and reliability, as many of their needs are mission-critical. Our unique, collaborative partnerships allow us to assure our clients that we will be there when they need us.

Geisinger College of Health Sciences establishes ‘first of its kind’ preventive medicine residency program in Pennsylvania

Posted on by Jeannine Lozier

Only four of the 64 accredited PH/GPM programs are in rural regions and access to this training is unavailable in Pennsylvania

 Geisinger College of Health Sciences’ Graduate Medical Education has been awarded a three-year, $750,000 Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant focused on the development of a public health/general preventive medicine (PH/GPM) rural residency program — the first of its kind in Pennsylvania.

Based at Geisinger Lewistown Hospital, the residency program will primarily serve the communities of Mifflin, Juniata and surrounding counties, while creating opportunities for health promotion and disease prevention across Geisinger and in the Commonwealth.

According to Michelle Thompson, M.D., chief education officer and vice dean for graduate medical education, Geisinger’s program is the first of its kind to receive funding from HRSA’s Rural Residency Grant Planning Program. The residency will support development of physicians who are knowledgeable in the unique care needs of rural populations and trained specifically to offer preventive care.

According to Dr. Thompson, the residency program has three goals:

  • To develop physicians to meet the unique health needs of individuals and populations in rural communities
  • To better prepare residents to practice in rural and underserved areas
  • To increase health promotion and disease prevention by developing rurally trained physicians with public health skills

“Only four of the 64 accredited PH/GPM are located in rural regions, and access to this training is unavailable in Pennsylvania,” Dr. Thompson said. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Geisinger College of Health Science’s

School of Graduate Education to design a public health, preventive medicine residency program dedicated to improving health in Geisinger’s Western Region and making better health easier for all Geisinger patients — no matter where they live.”

Dr. Thompson said Geisinger anticipates initial residency accreditation for the three-year program in 2026, with the first class of two residents matriculating in 2027. “To best accomplish this, we plan to collaborate with our own Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, The Primary Health Network and the Pennsylvania Department of Health,” she said.

Workplace Culture is Your Biggest Asset

Posted on by Jeannine Lozier

SUMMARY

  • CEOs agree that workplace culture is their most powerful asset, yet it ranks low on their list of priorities.
  • According to research, a great culture affects reputation, hiring and employee retention.
  • Mark Miller suggests leaders start by making space for hopes and dreams, amplifying vision and values often, and adapting the aspiration as needed.
  • Systems like polls and surveys can help monitor the health of an organization’s culture.

586 words ~ 3 Minute Read

Leaders know that culture matters. But with so many problems to solve and goals to reach, it’s hard to make workplace culture a priority. In bestselling author Mark Miller’s recent book Culture Rules: The Leader’s Guide to Creating the Ultimate Competitive Advantage, he surveyed more than 6000 individuals from 10 countries. Although 67% of global leaders agreed that culture is their most powerful tool, workplace culture failed to show up in a top 10 list of priorities. 

Unfortunately, this disconnect has far reaching consequences. Culture affects everything from reputation to hiring to employee retention. In a Glassdoor survey, 56% of employees said workplace culture was even more important than salary. Elevating your company culture doesn’t have to be daunting, according to Miller. His book outlines a simple strategic framework to create a thriving high-performance culture. Below are three rules to help you define the culture you want, integrate your message into the workplace, and find success by listening, learning, and adjusting. 

Get Clear

Humans want to feel connected to something bigger than themselves. That’s why Miller’s first rule is called Aspire. Most leaders have already identified their organization’s aspirations—the difference here is communication. Miller advises leaders to translate their vision, mission, purpose, and core beliefs for employees. When aspirations remain unsaid, confusion reigns instead of culture. Maintaining values and articulating your vision not only outlines boundaries and expectations, it also creates a sense of shared purpose.

Repeat Often 

It’s not enough to announce your organization’s expectations. Instead, Miller says you have to Amplify them, which is the second rule in his strategic framework. Leaders can amplify their vision, mission, and core values in many ways, and Miller suggests using a variety of methods. The world is loud and distracting, and to build a better culture, employees need reminders. 

One technique Miller recommends involves looking at the last 30 days of your calendar and finding activities you personally engaged in that match your aspiration. Then, the goal is to strategize how you can use these same activities in the future to amplify your aspiration. This process can be far reaching, affecting everything from hiring descriptions to onboarding of new employees to recognizing team members who embody the mission and core values of your organization. 

Listen & Learn

Enhancing workplace culture is not a one and done proposition. The last rule Miller wants leaders to understand is Adapt. In other words, clarifying your vision and values is important, but how do they actually land with the people that work for you? Miller advises leaders to prioritize listening so that you understand if your aspiration is on target or if it needs an adjustment. Systems that help identify problems that affect workplace satisfaction are important ways leaders can monitor the health of the culture they’ve worked so hard to build. Listening sessions and surveys are great ways to take the pulse of your organization. HR morning has cataloged 45 sample questions to help employers build their own customized survey to measure workplace engagement and satisfaction. 

The Bottom Line 

Taking the time to reflect on the three rules of Miller’s framework—Aspire, Amplify, and Adapt—will help you develop and maintain a healthy workplace culture. The long-term benefits for organizations are huge when people are more connected to their idea or mission because that will make them more invested in it. It’s up to leaders to carve out space for the hopes and dreams of their team members, so they can create a culture that allows all members of their organization to thrive.

FNB Foursome Wins 18th Annual Pat Houser Golf Tournament; Skills Foundation Wins Big

Posted on by Jeannine Lozier

With a score of 18 under par at the challenging Totfrees Resort, four golfers representing FNB Wealth Management claimed the title of 2023 Champions at the 18th annual Pat Houser Golf Tournament. Hosted by the Skills Foundation, the event raised over $43,000 to assist people with intellectual disabilities supported by Skills of Central PA in 17 counties.

Competing in a “shamble” format, 22 teams squared off in the tournament that memorializes a founding member of the Skills Board of Directors, Pat Houser. Besides the chasing the title of 2023 Champions, the golfers also had the chance to challenge one another in various other contests throughout the day. The “longest drive competition” was won by Frank Wiley (Lynn Warehousing team), from the 12th tee box. The “longest putt contest” was won by Jason Nagy (Sheetz team) on the 18th green, and the “closest to the pin” award went to Bill Wilkinson (FNB Team). Joel Confer Toyota offered $10,000 cash to any contestant that could land a “hole in one.” However, the huge prize went unclaimed, in spite of some great efforts that included two competitors just inches from the hole.

Gavin Howe, Shane Crawford, Vince Strugala, and Bill Wilkinson comprised the winning team from FNB Wealth Management. Finishing second overall, was the Mainline Pharmacy team, with a scorecard showing twelve under par. Third place went to the foursome representing Sheetz Inc.

A special raffle was conducted to raise additional funds, giving all those who purchased a ticket the chance to win a week-long stay at a beach house in Ocean Isle, North Carolina. The drawing took place at the conclusion of the golf outing, and Todd Miller, from Howard, PA was the lucky winner.

The winning foursome from FNB Wealth Management scored 18 under par in the 18th annual Pat Houser Memorial Golf Tournament, which raised over $43,000 for the Skills Foundation. Left to right are Vince Strugala, Bill Wilkinson, Gavin Howe, and Shane Crawford posed on the fairway at Toftrees Resort.