UPMC Altoona

Prior to becoming part of the UPMC system, UPMC Altoona was known as the Altoona Regional Health System, of which Altoona Regional Hospital was the flagship facility and campus. That health system was the product of a 2004 merger between the city's two historic hospitals, Altoona Hospital and Mercy Hospital, the later of which became known as Bon Secours Holy Family Hospital in 1996.{{cite web|url=http://www.altoonaregional.org/about_history.htm|title=About Us: History|publisher=Altoona Regional Health System|access-date=March 1, 2013}}

Altoona Hospital was founded as Altoona General Hospital in 1883 due to the needs for a medical facility for the growing population of Blair County and the Pennsylvania Rail Road (PRR), which had its primary repair shops located in the area.{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtbsgvZPouk|people=Kirk V. Leidy, (Producer, editor)|title=A History of Altoona Regional Health System|publisher=Altoona Regional Health System|medium=YouTube|date=August 23, 2012|access-date=February 28, 2013}} Altoona Hospital's earliest permanent home was a $16,645 (${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|16645|1885}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}}) wooden, two-story, 30-bed hospital that opened on January 1, 1886. The first medical staff, led by Dr. John Fay as chief, were appointed on November 11, 1885.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AxOIOtzsoOIC&pg=PA54|title=Images of America: Altoona|first=Anne Frances|last=Pulling|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|location=Charleston, SC|year=2001|pages=54–57|ISBN=0738505161|access-date=March 1, 2013}} The PRR donated the land for the hospital, located conveniently close to the rail lines between 6th and 7th streets along Howard Avenue.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OqWmW0XY9UkC&pg=PA36|title=Postcard History Series: Altoona|first=David W.|last=Seidel|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|year=2010|pages=36–39|ISBN=9780738572611|access-date=March 1, 2013}} During this first year, the hospital saw 113 total patients and ambulance service was added in July 1886.

The hospital grew rapidly in size, including the addition of two stories by 1893, and added greatly to its capabilities. In 1904, it opened a nursing school, a nurses residence in 1905, a dispensary in 1920, an intensive-care unit in 1957, and the area's first cardiac care unit in 1968. Altoona Hospital constructed its current 13-story main tower, designed by Hayes Large Architects of Altoona, in 1978 and in 1989 it performed the region's first open heart surgery. Between 1993 and 1995, it constructed a major expansion with the addition of a 7-story outpatient center and a 5-story parking garage, also by Hayes Large Architects, with Robert E. Wedge, AIA, as Principle in Charge.

Mercy Hospital, also in Altoona, was conceived under the name of Mountain City Hospital to serve as a second hospital for the city. Mercy was formally opened on July 14, 1910, with nine beds, 15 physicians and 6 nurses in what was originally the 1866 home of Thomas McCaulley which was located on the corner of Eighth Avenue and Twenty-sixth Street of Altoona. Mercy also operated a school of nursing and by 1927 the hospital had grown to 180 beds.{{cite news|url=http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/559476/Mercy-Hospital-had-secular-start-102-years-ago.html|title=Mercy Hospital had secular start 102 years ago|first=William|last=Kibler|newspaper=Altoona Mirror|date=April 1, 2012|access-date=February 28, 2013}} In 1935, while facing financial difficulties and at the request of the hospital's board of directors, Mercy came to be managed by the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth of Pittsburgh. From that point the hospital experienced major expansions of its facilities, including a "B" wing that opened in 1962, a pavilion that opened in 1978, and another expansion 1991. Its school of nursing closed in 1985 and the hospital instead affiliated with a nursing program located at nearby Saint Francis College. In 1996, the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth sold the hospital to the Sisters of Bon Secours, at which point it became part of the multi-state Bon Secours Health System and changed its name to Bon Secours Holy Family Hospital. In 2003, the Sisters of the Bon Secours withdrew their sponsorship of the hospital (although the hospital remained as a part of Bon Secours Health System) as merger talks with Altoona Hospital began to take shape.

File:AltoonaRegionalHealthSystemLogo.gif]]

The 2004 merger between Altoona Hospital and Bon Secours resulted in a two hospital campus system that included more than 20 affiliated companies. In 2010 and 2011, some outpatient services were moved to a new $16 million Station Medical Center and additional expansion of the Altoona Hospital campus was initiated by the purchase and $18 million renovation of the formerly state-owned Altoona Center at Howard Avenue and 4th Street.{{cite news|url=http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/558567/Former-Bon-Secours-Hospital-to-close-near-the-end-of-March.html|title=Former Bon Secours Hospital to close near the end of March |first=William|last=Kibler|newspaper=Altoona Mirror|date=February 28, 2012|access-date=February 28, 2013}} In 2011, with a decision having been made to close the Bon Secours campus and consolidate existing services at the Altoona Hospital, Bon Secours Health System withdrew as a partner of Altoona Regional Health System thereby ending 76 years of Catholic involvement in area hospital administration. The 7th Avenue Bons Secours campus officially closed on March 28, 2012.

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In February 2013, after over a year-long investigation of affiliation options, Altoona Regional Health System signed a non-binding letter of intent to negotiate an affiliation with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC).{{cite news|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/health/altoona-health-system-seeks-upmc-affiliation-676912/|title=Altoona health system seeks UPMC affiliation|first=Lexi|last=Belculfine|newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date=February 26, 2013|access-date=February 28, 2013}} Altoona Regional is simultaneously exploring affiliation with 45-bed Nason Hospital in Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania in order to form a single, county-wide health system.{{cite news|url=http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/568904/Nason-CEO-sees-merger-as-inevitable.html|title=Nason CEO sees merger as inevitable|first=William|last=Kibler|newspaper=Altoona Mirror|date=February 17, 2013|access-date=February 28, 2013}} In its final action on affiliation, on June 20, 2013, the boards of directors of Altoona Regional Health System and its parent company, Central Pennsylvania Health Services Corporation, voted unanimously to join with UPMC on July 1, 2013, as the renamed "UPMC Altoona", which will become a regional referral center of the UPMC health system.{{cite news|url=http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/572660/ARHS-votes-to-join-UPMC.html?nav=742|title=ARHS votes to join UPMC|first=William|last=Kibler|newspaper=Altoona Mirror|date=June 22, 2013|access-date=June 24, 2013}} With the merger, UPMC will appoint one-third of the hospital's board members as well as commit $250 million over the next decade for capital improvement in the Altoona system, not including a $10 million donation to the hospital's charitable foundation.{{cite news|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2013/06/21/altoona-regional-joins-upmc-july-1.html|title=Altoona Regional joins UPMC on July 1|first=Kris B.|last=Mamula|newspaper=Pittsburgh Business Times|publisher=American City Business Journals|date=June 21, 2013|access-date=June 24, 2013}}

In September 2024, UPMC Altoona's trauma rating dropped from level II to level III.{{cite web |last1=Kaye |first1=Zac |title=Local officials worried as UPMC Altoona downgrades from Level II to III trauma center |url=https://wjactv.com/news/local/local-officials-worried-as-upmc-altoona-downgrades-from-level-ii-to-iii-trauma-center |website=WJAC |access-date=24 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240806012932/https://wjactv.com/news/local/local-officials-worried-as-upmc-altoona-downgrades-from-level-ii-to-iii-trauma-center |archive-date=6 August 2024 |date=30 July 2024 |url-status=live}}

UPMC Altoona is a private, non-profit hospital that functions as a regional referral center and tertiary hub for UPMC. It serves as an Adult Level III trauma center for a 20 county region in central Pennsylvania. Altoona Regional is serviced by the STAT Medevac medical air transport service. UPMC Altoona hosts the Altoona Family Physicians Residency training program.{{cite journal|url=http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pafp/keystonephysician_2012winter/index.php?startid=54|title=Altoona Family Medicine Residency Pushes the Curve|pages=54–59|journal=Keystone Physician|publisher=Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians & Foundation|date=Winter 2012|access-date=February 28, 2013}}

Medical services offered by UPMC Altoona include:{{cite web |url=http://www.altoonaregional.org/medicalservices.htm|title=Medical Services: Regional Services|publisher=Altoona Regional Health System|access-date=February 28, 2013}}

The UPMC Altoona Hospital campus also contains the Glover Memorial Library, which is available to provide health-related information to patients and the community.{{cite web|url=http://www.altoonaregional.org/medicalservices_other.htm#education|title=Other Services: Education|publisher=Altoona Regional Health System|access-date=February 28, 2013}}

{{reflist|33em}}

• [http://upmcaltoona.org UPMC Altoona]
• [http://www.upmc.com/ Official website of UPMC]

{{University of Pittsburgh Medical Center}}

{{Altoona, Pennsylvania}}

{{Pennsylvania Trauma Centers}}

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Category:1883 establishments in Pennsylvania

Category:Altoona, Pennsylvania

Category:Buildings and structures in Altoona, Pennsylvania

Category:Healthcare in Pennsylvania

Category:Hospitals established in 1883

Category:Hospitals in Pennsylvania

Category:Trauma centers

Category:University of Pittsburgh Medical Center