Evangelical Community Hospital Agreement with Geisinger Affirmed

The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania has affirmed an agreement between Evangelical Community Hospital, Geisinger, and the Department of Justice that will allow Geisinger to maintain a minority investment in Evangelical. The judgment resolves the underlying Department of Justice lawsuit filed in August 2020.

The judgment affirms an agreement that has been revised over more than a year of negotiations and reduces Geisinger’s minority investment in Evangelical to 7.5 percent. 

“We are very pleased with today’s ruling,” said Kendra Aucker, President and CEO, Evangelical Community Hospital. “The agreement is truly in the best interest of the communities our healthcare organizations serve and it reaffirms our ability to remain an independent, community Hospital.”

Geisinger’s minority investment supports Evangelical’s expansion project known as PRIME, the Patient Room Improvement, Modernization, and Enhancement project. The expansion opened in October 2020 and features private rooms and bathrooms for patients. In addition, the second phase of the project—which opened in June 2021—includes a renovated critical care unit.

The investment also supports Evangelical’s transition to an integrated electronic medical record system and co-ownership of the Miller Center, a community-based resource that supports the health and wellness of the region’s residents.

Today’s ruling paves the way for Evangelical services to continue at tier 1 status in the Geisinger Health Plan, meaning individuals with that coverage do not face higher out-of-pocket costs when seeking their care at Evangelical. 

Aucker added, “It’s important to understand Evangelical remains an independent, community Hospital dedicated to delivering the high-quality, compassionate care our community has come to expect of us.”