In response to rising public concern over reports of overcrowding and speculation about the hospital’s long-term future, Wellspan Gettysburg Hospital President Mike Cogliano says the community hospital is here to stay—and is evolving in smart, patient-centered ways that go far beyond bricks and mortar.
“Our inpatient hospital is not going anywhere anytime soon,” said Cogliano in a recent interview. “I don’t see that happening in my career.”
Cogliano acknowledged that Gettysburg, like many communities nationwide, is seeing a growing demand for medical care. But instead of immediate physical expansion, the hospital is focused on thoughtful long-term planning and technological innovations that aim to improve care while reducing the need for hospitalization.
“At some point in the future, our hospital needs to grow,” he said. “We are working with a facilities planning consultant… and they are helping us to plan out for three, five, seven, and ten years.”
Although specific plans for expansion are not yet finalized, Cogliano said the process is well underway. “It’s a very intentional and extended process to appropriately plan the needed growth,” he explained. “We are planning something.”
But even as plans take shape, Cogliano urged residents not to focus solely on the hospital’s physical footprint. “We instinctively say, ‘Oh, we need more beds, we need a bigger hospital,’ and while I think longer term we definitely will, that’s not a short-term solution,” he said.
Instead, the hospital has embraced a model of care that increasingly meets patients where they are—often, at home. Cogliano highlighted WellSpan’s remote patient monitoring program, which equips patients who have chronic illnesses such as COPD and heart failure with Bluetooth-enabled kits that send vital health data directly to nurses.
“We can see when weight, blood pressure, or oxygen levels are off,” Cogliano explained. “Then we contact the patient immediately. Often, a telehealth visit is enough to avoid a hospitalization.”
He emphasized that healing at home is often better for patients and more cost-effective for the system. “I know when I’m sick, I don’t want to be stuck in a hospital,” he said. “You’re much better off at home. We recognize that.”
Gettysburg Hospital has also invested in surgical robotics, recently adding a second surgical robot to its operating rooms. Cogliano said the technology reduces recovery times dramatically, also reducing the need for hospital beds. “We’re sending [colon resection patients] home in two days, maybe three days,” he said. “Historically, they would stay between four and eight days.”
The hospital’s Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) plays a central role in this home-based model of care, providing at-home services such as medication management, infusions, wound care, and advanced illness management. “We’ve got this fantastic VNA,” Cogliano said. “They can prescribe medications, and they can send a doctor or nurse to the home. But oftentimes that’s not even necessary.”
He also addressed the growing use of Advanced Practice Providers (APPs), including Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants in family practice and specialty care. “Nationwide there is a lack of primary care providers. This area is no different,” Cogliano said. “I personally see an APP. They’re fantastic.”
While some younger doctors are drawn to big cities and academic centers, Cogliano said Gettysburg is starting to attract more physicians, particularly those with local ties or an interest in the area’s Civil War history. “We’re able to recruit providers who have grown up in this area… A lot of them love the Civil War and have always wanted to live here.”
The hospital also continues to tailor its care to Gettysburg’s older population. “Our nurses go through an annual competency in caring for the 65-plus population because of their unique needs,” he said.
Though he could not speak in detail about potential changes to Medicaid or the Affordable Care Act, Cogliano said WellSpan monitors those issues closely. “We have a government relations team that monitors what’s going on in Washington,” he said. “They help advocate with our senators, with our congressman, with the Hospital Association of Pennsylvania.”
Summarizing the conversation, Cogliano said, ” I want to take this opportunity to reiterate that in today’s healthcare landscape, efficient and high-quality care is about more than just physical space; bricks-and-mortar. At WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital, we are leveraging cutting-edge technology, virtual care, and home health services to meet our patient’ needs effectively and compassionately in their own homes as much as possible. Our commitment is to keep innovating so our patients receive the best possible care—close to home, whether that’s in our hospital or in their own living rooms.”
Charles (Chuck) Stangor is Gettysburg Connection's Owner, Publisher, and Editor in Chief. I would like to hear from you. Please contact me at cstangor@gettysburgconnection.org.