Jul 10, 2013 2 min read

Canonsburg Hospital has a new identity – slightly new.

It is no longer Canonsburg General Hospital. The facility dropped General from its longtime designation Wednesday morning as part of a larger change: being included in the Allegheny Health Network, the name of the new Highmark-West Penn Allegheny system.

Highmark, one of the region’s largest health insurers, bought the West Penn Allegheny Health System this spring. The insurer’s $1.1 billion bid was approved by the state April 29.

Rain-soaked Wednesday, as it turned out, was an ideal time to open a new umbrella, which Highmark did with its network of seven affiliated hospitals. The grouping also comprises Allegheny General, Allegheny Valley, Forbes, Jefferson, Saint Vincent and West Penn hospitals.

Five of the seven are in Allegheny County.

Saint Vincent, acquired Tuesday, is in Erie. All seven Wednesday also displayed new signage featuring the network logo.

Highmark, in a news release Wednesday, said the network has more than 17,000 employees and 2,100 physicians on staff, and about 200 primary and specialty-care physician practices.

Canonsburg Hospital, which actually is in North Strabane Township, became affiliated with Highmark at the end of April.

Patty Toner, community marketing manager for the hospital, is excited about the transition.

“There are so many wonderful aspects of this change,” she said.