Rather than having to go from doctor to doctor for health care, Highmark patients will soon be able to get the care they need all under one roof.
Officials from Highmark Health and the Allegheny Health Network unveiled the new Health + Wellness Pavilion in Wexford Tuesday afternoon, less than two weeks before its opening to the public.
The 175,000 square foot facility, deemed a "medical mall," will house an array of retail, diagnostic, preventive and therapeutic healthcare services.
In one visit, patients will have access to walk-in appointments with primary care physicians, a Cancer Institute with advanced radiation oncology facilities, an outpatient surgery center with four operating rooms and three minor procedure rooms, a Women’s Health Center, on-site laboratory testing and a retail pharmacy.
Susan Manzi, chair of the complex’s Department of Medicine, said this “changes the game” for healthcare services.
“It is for the first time practicing medicine the way medicine should be practiced,” Manzi said. “We can have access to everything that goes on with you as a patient, and that’s how we provide the best care for you.”
The Pavilion will prevent patients from having to find specialists outside of their primary care provider, which can sometimes require them to travel.
In addition to health services, the center will offer free general and valet parking, a medical resource library for healthcare professionals, an onsite café with healthy food choices and an outdoor plaza with walking trails, benches and gardens.
The facility will strengthen the health network in Pennsylvania, said Highmark president and CEO David Holmberg.
“We’re investing in the next generation for this community and we’re building a foundation that will long live past all of us,” Holmberg said. “And that’s a very exciting thing.”
For parents who can’t find a babysitter, the Pavilion will feature a playroom, courtesy of the Mario Lemieux Foundation, which builds playrooms in hospitals across western Pennsylvania.
“As our patients enter this facility next week, we need to assure that they understand how committed we are, how passionate we are and compassionate we are to take care of them and their families,” said John Paul, president and CEO of the Allegheny Health Network.
The total cost of the project was approximately $100 million. The facility is expected to employ more than 200 people.
Congressman Keith Rothfus (R-PA-12) said an innovative center like this will help overcome the healthcare problems in the United States.
“The way this facility is going to be able to deliver care directly to the patients, bringing healthcare to the patients in this patient-centered environment, it’s very exciting to have this day happen,” Rothfus said.
The Pavilion, located at 12311 Perry Highway in Pine Township, will open to the public on Oct. 1.
