UPMC Altoona

On January 1, 1886, Altoona opened a 30-bed, two-story wooden structure and admitted 113 patients in its first year. The opening of the hospital was driven by the need of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the residents of the growing territory of Blair County. The railroad donated the land that was close to the rail lines which was a convenience for transporting injured railroad workers.UPMC Altoona is currently a 376-bed hospital serving primarily the more than 20 counties throughout Central Pennsylvania. It maintains a Level II Adult Trauma Center, providing comprehensive care for the most severely injured. UPMC Altoona cares for the behavioral health of the region through a 34-bed inpatient facility and offers outpatient therapy, including a 24-hour crisis center, school programs, and family-based drug and alcohol treatment. UPMC Altoona's medical mall brings outpatient services closer to patients by providing state-of-the-art diagnostic neurology testing, digital mammography, as well as comprehensive rehabilitation services.UPMC Altoona is committed to its mission of providing exceptional health care to all in need, regardless of ability to pay. It provided charity care and other uncompensated care, including Medicaid and Medicare shortfalls, at a cost of over $30,000,000 in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2015. UPMC Altoona also provided services to the community through free or low-cost outreach programs targeted at patients, patients' families, and the community. UPMC Altoona provides meeting space to various groups including the Alzheimer's Support Group, Parkinson's Support Group, Bariatric Support Group, Depression and Bipolar Support, and the Caregiver's Support Group. All of these programs and support, including direct donations, have assisted thousands of people in the community with the cost of almost $20,000,000 borne by the hospital in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2015. UPMC Altoona also funded schools of health professions and medical residency programs as well as medical research at a combined cost of $2,800,000 in fiscal year 2015.During fiscal year 2015, Altoona had 17,732 inpatient admissions which contributed to 82,862 inpatient days. There were 68,843 emergency department visits, and Altoona performed over 14,000 surgeries. UPMC Altoona had a total of 371,925 outpatient visits during fiscal year 2015. Of the patients that Altoona serves, 69% are participants in the federal Medicare and state Medicaid programs.UPMC Altoona works with other hospitals in Blair County and more than 40 community agencies and organizations to implement community health programs, supports Let's Move Blair County, which promotes obesity prevention in children and families, and helps promote employee health at area businesses by performing screenings and providing information at their health and wellness fairs.UPMC Altoona provides support for local food banks, homeless shelters, and domestic abuse shelters, and their Healthy Living Club provides community education programs to help people lead healthier lives, with topics such as stroke awareness, child safety, and good nutrition.Free medications are distributed by UPMC Altoona to patients upon discharge who lack the resources or insurance coverage to the cover the costs of medications or copays as well as to patients at the free medical clinic. UPMC Altoona provided free cab rides to outpatients from the Community Crisis Center and inpatient Behavioral Health Unit to the patients' homes or residential facilities.