The 174,000 square foot medical mall to be built in Wexford will cost Highmark $100 million dollars. It’s the latest move for the non-profit insurer, which is making the transition from being just an insurer to being a health-care provider. The Blue-Cross Blue-Shield subsidiary is in the process of acquiring The West Penn Allegheny Health Care System, The Jefferson Regional Medical System and St. Vincent Hospital.
The North Hills facility is one of two. Highmark has not disclosed the location of the other planned medical mall. Services at the location would include medical and radiation oncology, basic and advanced imaging, physical and occupational therapy, women’s care, lab and pharmacy services, a day care, primary and specialty care, and pediatrics.
Earlier this year, Highmark had said it would build up to 9 of these centers around the region but now, the insurer has scaled back plans. They still plan on building an ambulatory surgery center in Monroeville.
Highmark President and CEO William Winkenwerder called the mall “patient-centered health care” and said this is all part of a concept being developed.
“It is being assembled and bought together under one organization …it will have one name that is affiliated with Highmark, it won’t go under the Highmark name, per se, so it won’t be the Highmark Healthcare system,” he said.
Highmark expects West Penn Allegheny employees will staff the medical mall. The center will be open to those with Highmark coverage but Winkenwerder says the will be open to other sources of insurance coverage.
