Health Care in Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania Department of Health is the primary authority to look after the health care services and to enhance the health and living standards of the people of Pennsylvania. The Health Department is responsible to provide top-quality programs and services that benefit the health, prevent injury and disease, promote healthy lifestyles, safety and well-being of the people of Pennsylvania and to meet the needs and demands of the dynamic nature of Public Health. The health department, through the use of community-based strategies, has successfully reduced the number of serious illnesses, infectious disease, injuries and deaths due to major health threats and accidental injuries. The strategic imperatives of the health department^[1] include:

• Monitor the health status of the citizens
• Reduce the severity of illness
  
• Promote healthy behaviors
• Identify and eliminate preventable illness
  
• Improve health care quality
• Lead the development of sound health policy and planning
  

For information on Pennsylvania Department of Health click here

Hospitals in Pennsylvania

Hospitals are one of the major sources of healthcare in Pennsylvania. The state has top rated hospitals that efficiently serve the citizens with utmost care. These hospitals in Pennsylvania have state-of-the-art technology and are well equipped and well staffed to offer selfless services to the people. The major hospitals in Pennsylvania are:

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC)

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) is one of the leading nonprofit health systems in the US. It is an integrated global health enterprise with its headquarter in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. UPMC builds and delivers Life Changing Medicine by cultivating the power of technology and accelerating the pace of innovation worldwide. UPMC is comprised of more than 20 hospitals and more than 400 clinical locations. UPMC has the strategy of combining clinical and research excellence with business-like discipline thereby translating into high-quality patient care.

Contact Details
200 Lothrop St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2582
412-647-UPMC (8762)
1-800-533-UPMC (8762)
Website: http://www.upmc.com/Pages/default.aspx

Penn Presbyterian Medical Center

Penn Presbyterian Medical Center ranks as one of the region's superior medical facilities, blending state-of-the art technology with personalized care from efficient physicians and staff. The hospital offers patients leading-edge medical programs in several specialty areas, including cardiology, family medicine, cancer, internal medicine, orthopaedics, surgery, ophthalmology, radiology and imaging. The medical center is also a regional leader in performing minimally-invasive and robotic-assisted surgery.

Contact Details
Penn Medicine, Philadelphia
Phone: 1-800-789-7366 (PENN)
Website: http://www.pennmedicine.org/penn-presbyterian-medical-center/

Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals

Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals provides excellent clinical and compassionate care for patients in the Philadelphia region. Named in the best hospital listing on U.S.News & World Report's list, Jefferson stands out the best in 8 specialty areas such as Orthopedics, Cancer, Ear, Nose & Throat, Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, Gynecology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Nephrology and Urology. Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals has 951 licensed acute care beds having major programs in a varied clinical specialties range.

Contact Details
215-955-6000
111 South 11th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Poneh: 215-955-6840
Website: http://www.pennmedicine.org/penn-presbyterian-medical-center/

Lancaster General Health

Lancaster General Health is a regional non profit healthcare system. Lancaster General Health is focused to enhance the health and well-being of the communities. Lancaster General Health (LG Health) has 631-licensed bed with a vast network of care and comprises of Lancaster General Hospital (LGH) and Women & Babies Hospital. The hospital been recognized regionally and nationally for intensive care unit, cardiology and orthopedic services. The hospital also specializes in obstetrics, open-heart surgery, neurosurgery, pediatric care, trauma and inpatient and outpatient Behavioral Health.

Contact Details
555 North Duke Street, Lancaster
PA 17602, United States
Phone: 1-888-LGH-INFO (544-4636)
Website: http://lancastergeneralhealth.org/LGH/

Blood and Organ banks in Pennsylvania

The state of Pennsylvania has established multiple blood banks, organ donation and tissue banks all over the state to provide better medical care to its citizens. The leading blood banks and organ donation banks in Pennsylvania are:

Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank
8167 Adams Drive
Hummelstown, PA 17036
Phone: 1-800-771-0059
Services: Blood bank

Miller-Keystone Blood Center
1465 Valley Center Parkway
Bethlehem, PA 18017
800-B-A-DONOR (223-6667)
Services: Blood bank

Central Blood Bank
Greenville, Pennsylvania 16125
Phone: 1-724-588-2169
Services: Blood Banks, Organ Donation and Tissue Banks

Central Blood Bank Donar Center
Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania 15065
Phone: 1-724-224-1032
Services: Blood Banks, Organ Donation and Tissue Banks

Community Blood Bank of Erie
Erie, Pennsylvania 16508
Phone: 1-814-456-4206
Services: Blood Banks, Organ Donation and Tissue Banks

Institute for Transfusion Medical
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15220
Phone: 1-412-209-7000
Services: Blood Banks, Organ Donation and Tissue Banks

Plasmacare Inc
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219
Phone: 1-412-391-9688
Services: Blood Banks, Organ Donation and Tissue Banks

Sewickley Valley Hospital - Blood Bank
Sewickley, Pennsylvania 15143
Phone: 1-412-749-7012
Services: Blood Banks, Organ Donation and Tissue Banks

UPMC Horizon Blood Bank
Greenville, Pennsylvania 16125
Phone: 1-724-588-2100
Services: Blood Banks, Organ Donation and Tissue Banks

Eye banks in Pennsylvania

The eye banks in Pennsylvania is responsible to procure and provide corneal tissue to restore sight and for the improvement of visual impaired individuals. The banks also offer quality tissue for medical research that is thriving to cure and improve all eye diseases and disorders. The eye bank has been serving the community for the last 55 years now.

Contact Details
2346 Jacksonville Road, Bethlehem, PA 18017
1-800-NE-PA-EYE (637-2393), 610-625-3800
Fax: 610-625-0333
E-Mail: info@PaEyeBank.org
Website: http://paeyebank.org/

List of Lions Eye Banks

Lions Eye Bank of Delaware Valley (M)
401 N. 3rd Street, Suite 305
Philadelphia, PA 19123
Phone: 215-563-1679 Fax: 215-563-3081
Email: jquirk@lebdv.org

Lions Eye Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania (M)
5105 Richmond Street
Erie, PA 16509
Phone: 814-866-3545
Fax: 814-864-1875
Email: sight@erieeyebank.org

Northeast Pennsylvania Lions Eyebank
2346 Jacksonville Road
Bethlehem, PA 18017
Phone: 610-625-0361
Fax: 610-625-0367
Email: rrader@paeyebank.org

Nursing homes in Pennsylvania

Mosser Nursing Home
1175 Mosser Road
Trexlertown, PA 18087
Phone: 610-395-5661

St. John Neumann Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare
10400 Roosevelt Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19116
Phone: 215-698-5600

Renaissance Healthcare & Rehabilitation
4712 Chester Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19143
Phone: 215.727.4450
Fax: 215.724.6596

Philadelphia Nursing Home
2100 West Girard Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19130
Phone: 215-685-0800
Fax: 215-685-0983

Marwood rest home
1020 Oak Lane Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19126
Phone: (215) 224-9898

Colonial Park Care Center
800 King Russ Road
Harrisburg, PA 17109
Phone: 717-657-1520
Fax: 717-657-3287

Spring Creek Rehabilitation & Health Care Center
1205 South 28th Street
Harrisburg, PA 17111
Phone: 717-565-7000

Medicaid in Pennsylvania

The Medical Assistance, also known as Medicaid or MA, pays for health care services for eligible individuals in Pennsylvania^[2]. Residents of Pennsylvania can seek assistance and a range of services for themselves and their families from professionally trained staff members at county assistance offices. One must meet income, resource and other eligibility requirements in order to be eligible for Medical Assistance. The requirements include individuals who are aged (age 65 and older), blind and disabled; Families with children under age 21; Single and married individuals with a temporary disability, limited income or special circumstances. Medical Assistance eligibility is determined using income and household size in comparison to limits in income. Disability and age also are factors in determining which income limits apply. Medical Assistance eligibility is also determined using resource and household size in comparison to resource limits.

The Health Choices Program is one of Pennsylvania's mandatory managed care programs for Medical Assistance recipients. Recipients receive good medical support and timely and convenient access to all applicable physical health services through Physical Health Managed Care Organizations, whether the services are delivered on an inpatient or outpatient basis. Recipients receive quality medical care and timely access to appropriate mental health and/or drug and alcohol services through Behavioral Health Managed Care Organizations.

Healthy Beginnings Plus is Pennsylvania’s effort to assist low-income and pregnant women eligible for Medical Assistance for having an experience of positive prenatal care. This program expands maternity services to be reimbursed by the Medical Assistance Program.

Also known as nursing homes, Long-term care facilities provide both long and short term nursing and rehabilitation services for persons that require 24-hour care. Long-Term Care (LTC) services include both Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) and LTC Facility Services.

Under AIDS Waiver Program services given are Home Health Services, Nutritional Consultations, Specialized Medical Equipment and Supplies and Personal Assistance Services.

The Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment program provides full health care benefits to women needing treatment for cervical or breast cancer or a pre-cancerous condition of the breast or cervix. Women who qualify for this coverage can receive free health care throughout their course of treatment for cancer or a pre-cancerous condition of the breast or cervix.

For more on Medicaid click here

Vital records of Pennsylvania

The vital records of birth, death, marriage and health in the state are maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

The Division of Vital Records maintains birth and death events that occurred in Pennsylvania from 1906 to the present. No fees are charged on first copies for new births and also fees may not be applicable to retired and current officers in the Armed Forces. There are three ways to obtain a certified copy of a birth or death certificate:

• Order Online thru k, the authorized service provider for the Pennsylvania Department of Health
• Order death and birth Certificates by Mail
• Order in person at one of the office locations: Erie, Harrisburg, New Castle, Pittsburgh, Scranton and Philadelphia.
  

For Birth and Death Certificates click here

Marriage licenses in Pennsylvania are maintained and handled by the Marriage License Clerk in the county courthouse of the county issuing the license. Divorce Records, since 1804, have been maintained in the Prothonotary's Office in the county where the divorce was granted. Local newspapers also frequently published notices of divorce actions.

For Marriage and divorce records click here

Leading Causes of death in Pennsylvania in 2010 ^[3]

• Heart Disease: 25%
• All Others: 25%
• Cancer: 23%
• Stroke: 5%
• Alzheimer's Disease: 3%
• Diabetes Mellitus: 3%
• Nephritis: 2%
• Influenza & Pneumonia: 2%
• Septicemia: 2%
• Unintentional Injury: 5%
• Chron. Low . Respiratory Disease: 5%

Vital statistics of Pennsylvania

• Population^[4], 2013 estimate: 12,773,801
• Population, 2010 (April 1) estimates base: 12,702,379
• Population, percent change, April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013: 0.6%
• Persons under 5 years, percent, 2013: 5.6%
  
• Persons under 18 years, percent, 2013: 21.3%
• Persons 65 years and over, percent, 2013: 16.4%
  

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References:

1. Pennsylvania Department of Health
2. Pennsylvania Medicaid
3. Leading Causes of death in Pennsylvania
4. Population of Pennsylvania