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Penn Highlands Healthcare Implements New Emergency Alerts

Posted on by Jules Slater
At Penn Highlands DuBois, shown with a poster of the new emergency alerts are (l. to r.) Jocelyn Long, Director of Quality and Safety, and Megan Bussard, System Vice President of Safety and Quality at Penn Highlands Healthcare.

(August 5, 2025 — DuBois, PA) At Penn Highlands Healthcare, the safety of patients, visitors, employees, physicians and volunteers is one of its highest priorities. On August 6, 2025, the health system is standardizing all medical, facility and security alerts across its hospitals and senior living facilities to improve communication and responses during emergencies. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have recommended the use of plain language alerts to communicate clearly in emergency situations.

Throughout the health system, standardized plain language emergency alerts are replacing the color-coded codes, which have been used to notify employees, physicians and volunteers about critical situations occurring in the hospitals and senior living facilities. 

The new alerts use clear, everyday language to ensure that everyone – including patients and visitors – understand the nature of the situations and the actions required to be taken. 

“By sharing plain language alerts with patients and visitors, it helps to improve communication and reduce confusion during emergencies, said Megan Bussard, System Vice President of Safety and Quality at Penn Highlands Healthcare. “The new alerts help ensure that everyone, including non-healthcare professionals, understands the nature and scope of an emergency, facilitating faster and more effective responses.”

The alerts will be identical for allhospitals and senior livingfacilities in the Northwest, Central and Southwest regions. 

Alerts will reflect three types of situations: 

  • Medical, such as alerts for the Rapid Response Team
  • Facility, such as a fire
  • Security, such as a combative patient

“We are standardizing the alerts to eliminate confusion that can be associated with the ambiguous codes; help facilitate faster responses by clearly stating the emergency; and provide greater transparency by sharing clear information about the nature of the emergency,” explained Bussard. 

For more than 10 weeks, the health system’s employees have been receiving training on the new alerts to enrich their understanding and increase their safety awareness so that they are well prepared to respond when the new alerts are announced.  

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Penn Highlands Healthcare was officially formed in 2011 and is comprised of nine hospitals. Penn Highlands Brookville, Penn Highlands Clearfield, Penn Highlands Connellsville, Penn Highlands DuBois, Penn Highlands Elk, Penn Highlands Huntingdon, Penn Highlands Mon Valley, Penn Highlands Tyrone have served area communities for the past 100+ years. Penn Highlands State College is a new state-of-the-art hospital that opened in 2024. The health system’s business continuum also includes a home care agency, long-term care facilities and residential senior living communities, as well as durable medical equipment companies and retail pharmacies.

Penn Highlands Healthcare has evolved into an organization with approximately 6,200 employees in 150+ locations throughout 26 counties in Pennsylvania that include community medical buildings, outpatient facilities, surgery centers and physician practices. The facilities have a total of 1,396 inpatient, skilled nursing and personal care beds.  The system, which has 849 physicians and 427 advanced practice providers on staff, offers a wide range of care and treatments with specialty units for cancer, cardiovascular/thoracic, neurosurgery, pulmonology, neonatal and high-risk pregnancy patients. Being focused on what is important – patients and families – makes Penn Highlands Healthcare a great choice for healthcare in the region.

Keller Engineers Hires Former Intern in Water/Wastewater Division

Posted on by Jules Slater

July 28, 2025, Hollidaysburg, PA – Keller Engineers, Inc., with locations in Hollidaysburg, State College, and Gettysburg, PA and Haddonfield, NJ is a full-service engineering firm providing client-focused civil and structural engineering, and surveying services.

Keller Engineers, Inc. is excited to announce the hiring of former Water/Wastewater intern, Sasha Neyman, as a full-time Engineering Technician in the Water/Wastewater division!


Presently, Sasha is remotely finishing a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Arizona. As an active student on-campus, she served as a Resident Assistant and was a member of Eco Reps, an organization that promotes eco-friendly events and practices on campus. Sasha has experience working as an industrial engineering intern, helping industrial engineers optimize and streamline processes. Within Water/Wastewater, Sasha will be primarily responsible for environmental permitting, treatment analysis, and system design.

Penn Highlands Huntingdon Achieves PCI Accreditation from Corazon

Posted on by Jules Slater
Shown displaying the Corazon accreditation certificate are back row (l. to r.) Angela Guyer Director of Nursing; Hannah Kerstetter, BSN, RN, CCRN, Cath Lab Supervisor; Chris Suomela RT (R) (CV); Nicole Keefer RN; Heather Mock BSN, RN; Michael Sabatini MD, PhD, Medical Director; and Rhonda Halstead Regional Market President – Central Region. Front row (l. to r.) Roni Kratzer RN; Valarie Lester BSN, RN; and Mikayla Boonie RN. Not pictured: William Harris Supervisor RT (R) (CT) (CI).

(July 25, 2025 — DuBois, PA) The Cardiac Catheterization/PCI program at Penn Highlands Huntingdon received accreditation from Corazon, a national leader in services for the cardiovascular specialty. Through a vigorous process, the accreditation proves that the program at Penn Highlands Huntingdon has once again met or exceeded Corazon’s Accreditation Standards, national societal guidelines and the requirements established by the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH). As an accrediting agency on behalf of the PA DOH, Corazon helps to ensure life-saving services are provided in communities across the state.

According to Corazon, Penn Highlands Huntingdon demonstrated through its accreditation survey that they are committed to providing the highest quality level of care to its patient community. Their dedication, hard work, and exceptional leadership have allowed this opportunity to engage their entire hospital team, enhancing their cardiac service line, and thus allowing them to excel through this accreditation.

In 2022, as part of a $9 million expansion and enhancement project, Penn Highlands Huntingdon installed a state-of-the-art angiography system. The technically advanced system is designed to improve minimally invasive therapy for many conditions such as coronary artery disease and stroke. The system provides unmatched positioning flexibility that enables the medical teams at Penn Highlands Huntingdon to perform the most advanced cardiac catheterization, vascular and interventional radiology procedures.

“It is an honor to be accredited by Corazon,” said Rhonda Halstead, MSM, Regional Market President – Central Region which includes the Penn Highlands Hospitals in Huntingdon, Blair and Centre counties. “This accreditation demonstrates to the community that when they come to Penn Highlands Huntingdon for cardiac care that they will receive top quality, progressive care from a highly skilled team using technically advanced diagnostic and therapeutic devices.”

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Penn Highlands Healthcare was officially formed in 2011 and is comprised of nine hospitals. Penn Highlands Brookville, Penn Highlands Clearfield, Penn Highlands Connellsville, Penn Highlands DuBois, Penn Highlands Elk, Penn Highlands Huntingdon, Penn Highlands Mon Valley, Penn Highlands Tyrone have served area communities for the past 100+ years. Penn Highlands State College is a new state-of-the-art hospital that opened in 2024. The health system’s business continuum also includes a home care agency, long-term care facilities and residential senior living communities, as well as durable medical equipment companies and retail pharmacies.

Penn Highlands Healthcare has evolved into an organization with approximately 6,200 employees in 150+ locations throughout 26 counties in Pennsylvania that include community medical buildings, outpatient facilities, surgery centers and physician practices. The facilities have a total of 1,396 inpatient, skilled nursing and personal care beds.  The system, which has 849 physicians and 427 advanced practice providers on staff, offers a wide range of care and treatments with specialty units for cancer, cardiovascular/thoracic, neurosurgery, pulmonology, neonatal and high-risk pregnancy patients. Being focused on what is important – patients and families – makes Penn Highlands Healthcare a great choice for healthcare in the region.

Lyme Disease: Know the Signs and Symptoms

Posted on by Jules Slater

By Penn Highlands Healthcare

(July 21, 2025, DuBois, Pennsylvania) – During the summer and fall months, people enjoy outdoor activities. Whether playing sports, camping, gardening or hiking, the risk exists for tick bites.

“Ticks thrive in woody and grassy areas,” said Cody Wakefield, CRNP, a certified registered nurse practitioner with Penn Highlands Healthcare. “Any activity where you are around plants and vegetation – even walking a dog – increases your possibility of coming in contact with ticks.”

Why should ticks be avoided?

Blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, carry the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. Lyme disease bacteria is spread to humans through the bite of infected deer ticks. These ticks are prevalent throughout Pennsylvania and in other parts of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic region.

What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from three to 30 days following a tick bite, the following signs or symptoms may appear:

  • A circular, expanding bull’s-eye or target lesion may begin at the site of the bite in approximately 70% to 80% of infected people. The rash will gradually expand. It is important to note that the bull’s-eye rash will not appear in everyone who has been bitten by a blacklegged tick.
  • Fever
  • Chills
  • Headache
  • Muscle and joint aches
  • Swollen lymph nodes

Days or months after the bite the symptoms below may be present:

  • Severe headache and neck stiffness
  • Rashes in other parts of the body
  • Facial palsy (drooping of facial muscles)
  • Pain in the muscles, joints and bones
  • Irregular heartbeat
  • Dizziness and shortness of breath
  • Shooting pains or numbness in the hands and feet
  •  

How is Lyme disease diagnosed?

If a person suspects they may have been bitten by a deer tick and have symptoms of Lyme disease, they should seek medical attention. A provider will assess whether the symptoms are clinically consistent with Lyme disease and consider other illnesses that may cause similar symptoms. Lab testing, consisting of a two-step blood testing process typically leads to a definitive diagnosis. 

What is the treatment?

Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with antibiotics. Early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment can help prevent more serious complications. 

If you suspect you have been bitten by a deer tick, seek medical attention as soon as possible.

If you have a tick or insect bite, minor illness or injury that is non-life threatening but requires medical attention, contact your family medicine physician. If you do not have a physician, Penn Highlands Healthcare can help you find one near you, visit www.phhealthcare.org/findadoc.

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Penn Highlands Healthcare was officially formed in 2011 and is comprised of nine hospitals. Penn Highlands Brookville, Penn Highlands Clearfield, Penn Highlands Connellsville, Penn Highlands DuBois, Penn Highlands Elk, Penn Highlands Huntingdon, Penn Highlands Mon Valley, Penn Highlands Tyrone have served area communities for the past 100+ years. Penn Highlands State College is a new state-of-the-art hospital that opened in 2024. The health system’s business continuum also includes a home care agency, long-term care facilities and residential senior living communities, as well as durable medical equipment companies and retail pharmacies.

Penn Highlands Healthcare has evolved into an organization with approximately 6,200 employees in 150+ locations throughout 26 counties in Pennsylvania that include community medical buildings, outpatient facilities, surgery centers and physician practices. The facilities have a total of 1,396 inpatient, skilled nursing and personal care beds.  The system, which has 849 physicians and 427 advanced practice providers on staff, offers a wide range of care and treatments with specialty units for cancer, cardiovascular/thoracic, neurosurgery, pulmonology, neonatal and high-risk pregnancy patients. Being focused on what is important – patients and families – makes Penn Highlands Healthcare a great choice for healthcare in the region.

Keller Engineers Hires Staff Accountant

Posted on by Jules Slater
Jadyn Glunt headshot

July 16, 2025, Hollidaysburg, PA – Keller Engineers, Inc., with locations in Hollidaysburg, State College, and Gettysburg, PA and Haddonfield, NJ is a full-service engineering firm providing client-focused civil and structural engineering, and surveying services.


Keller Engineers, Inc. has welcomed the newest member of the Accounting team, Jadyn Glunt!
Jadyn holds a Master’s of Accounting from Juniata College where she was a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society, The Tau Pi Phi Honorary Society, and The National Society of Leadership and Success. While a student at Juniata, Jadyn also received the Charles M. Rice Accounting Prize and the Leonard L. Fuoss, Jr. ’47 Scholarship. Her varied prior experience includes handling important files, counting money, and recording transactions. Jadyn is also proficient in Microsoft Excel and Word. At Keller, she will be primarily responsible for Accounts Payable. Welcome Jadyn!