Jun 5, 2025 By Karen Mansfield 6 min read

After years of operating in the red, Washington Health System leaders feared in 2022 that the financially stressed health system would be forced to close within the next two or three years, cutting its services to an estimated 300,000 residents in the region.

In December of that year, the WHS board of directors submitted a request for proposals to affiliate with a larger health care provider.

Six months later, in June 2023, WHS and UPMC reached a tentative merger agreement. The following year, the merger was approved.

Fast forward to June 1, 2025, when UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene celebrated the one-year anniversary of the affiliation with UPMC, marking a significant milestone in the hospitals’ history.

“We’re very excited about the fact that not only did we get to the point where we completed the affiliation, but time flies, and a year later, we’ve been busy planning and expanding health care for people in Washington and Greene counties, and there are many great things to come,” said Brook Ward, president of UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene. “This is just the beginning.”

With more than 2,000 employees, UPMC Washington is the largest employer in Washington County and one of the largest in Greene County.

Ward said the affiliation preserved local health care jobs, and enabled UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene to maintain and expand services that had been provided by WHS.

“Not only did we save all 2,000-plus jobs, but with expanding services, we’re going to bring more jobs, and we continue to play a vital role in supporting the community,” said Ward.

The affiliation with UPMC has strengthened the workforce by preserving jobs, raising wages, and improving benefits – UPMC employees now receive employer-matched retirement contributions, something they didn’t have before.

In February, UPMC Washington and SEIU Healthcare employees at UPMC Washington reached a three-year contract, which included average raises of 12% over three years, with some workers receiving up to 19%.

Melisssa Petro, acting president of SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania at UPMC Washington, said the union and its 300 employees “would like to try to keep a positive relationship between the union and UPMC and strive to make things better for employees.”

As part of the partnership, UPMC pledged to invest at least $300 million over 10 years to improve clinical services and upgrade facilities at the hospitals.

“Over the past year, we’ve made tremendous strides in strengthening our foundation as trusted providers of excellent patient care,” said Ward. “We’ve honored our legacy while embracing new opportunities to grow and serve our region – together.”

UPMC operates 40 hospitals and 800 other health care locations. UPMC Washington is a 278-bed hospital, while UPMC Greene has 49 beds in Waynesburg.

Ward said that since joining UPMC, employees “have gained access to better health care options, larger and better than we had before, enhanced career development pathways and a more robust retirement program than we ever could have done.”

Ward said the health system has made significant progress in expanding close-to-home access to elevated care specialties, including pediatrics, orthopedics and specialized surgical services.

“This milestone is especially meaningful because it reflects how we’re embedding and expanding UPMC’s nationally ranked specialty services — including UPMC Magee-Womens, UPMC Children’s, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute and more — right here in our community,” said Ward. “It brings world-class care closer to home for the people we serve.”

A new emergency department affiliation with UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh now provides 24/7 consultation access to board-certified pediatric emergency physicians and connections to follow-up care with more than 400 specialists across 33 subspecialties.

Ward said The UPMC Children’s Specialty Care Center Washington, which sits adjacent to the emergency department, is already making an impact in the region, offering expanded services including orthopedics, and soon, rheumatology. It now offers care for 10 pediatric subspecialities.

“Now, at any time a parent can bring a child into the ED at Washington and know that physicians and staff there are trained on advanced protocols that physicians on staff at Children’s Hospital use, and they have access to that if they need it,” said Ward.

Leadership at UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene are collaborating with colleagues at UPMC Children’s Hospital to explore an emergency room affiliation at UPMC Greene.

Other services now include spine surgery and neurosurgery, additional surgical capabilities with procedures ranging from breast surgery to vascular surgery, and the growth of the orthopedics team, with several newly recruited physicians and providers added.

“For our orthopedic program we’ve added top-notch orthopedic surgeons, so we have the best orthopedic program we’ve had in decades. It’s growing and booming,” said Ward. “We’ve added spine surgery, neuro and orthopedic, with options that haven’t been available to people in Washington and Greene.”

Additionally, UPMC Washington is collaborating with UPMC Magee-Womens for future additions to women’s health services.

“There has been so much positive progress happening as a result of our affiliation with UPMC,” said Lawrence Pantuso, vice president of clinical and essential services at UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene. “The real beneficiaries are our patients who rely on us for their health care needs and our team members who now have exciting new opportunities to build their careers into the future.”

Pantuso added, “Whether people receive care locally or need advanced care at another UPMC specialty center, access to life-changing care has never been better.”

State Rep. Tim O’Neal, who backed the affiliation proposal, said he is pleased to see the merger has been highly successful a year later.

“Area residents have had no decrease in access to health care and have even seen increases in some areas,” O’Neal said. “This is in stark contrast to recent developments on the other side of the state, where a hospital closed. The merger has done what it was supposed to do, which is bring stability.”

In February, Washington Hospital’s 300 union workers represented by SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, reached a three-year contract with UPMC. The contract includes average raises of 12% over three years, with some employees getting as much as 19%. The contract also includes employer-matched retirement contributions – something they did not have before.

“Moving forward, we would like to try to keep a positive relationship between the union and UPMC, and strive to make things better for employees and not move backwards,” said SEIU chapter acting president Melissa Petro.”

Ward said he is proud of what UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene have accomplished in the past year, and is optimistic about the future.

“As we reflect on this first year, we remain focused on delivering compassionate, high-quality care while fostering a workplace where every team member feels valued and empowered,” said Ward. “We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished — and even more excited for what’s ahead.”