Jun 13, 2025 3 min read

Miss: More than $700 billion in proposed cuts to Medicaid included in President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” could produce dire consequences in the region if the measure is passed, staff writer Karen Mansfield reported last week. Funding cuts could significantly increase uncompensated care, potentially leading to reduced services and staffing, or worse, hospital closures, particularly in rural areas. Consider: More than 3.1 million Pennsylvanians — roughly 21% of the state’s population – are covered by Medicaid, the public health insurance that also connects patients to numerous other services ranging from addiction and mental health treatment to school-based health screenings. “There is no winning for Pennsylvania hospitals in this bill,” said Patrick Keenan, policy director for the nonprofit Pennsylvania Health Access Network. Hospitals could be faced with treating an increasing number of uninsured patients while dealing with a reduction in Medicaid reimbursement. Even people who aren’t on Medicaid should be alarmed, he said. “If there are people out there saying, ‘Hey, I’m not enrolled in Medicaid or Pennie (insurance), this doesn’t affect me,’ it does because if these cuts happen, you’re going to be impacted by longer wait times, fewer appointments available, fewer community-based services, less staffing, less care being available, and other limitations to access to hospitals.”

Hit: In observance of the 81st anniversary of D-Day, the invasion of Normandy, 18 veterans of World War II were honored at a ceremony at Stage AE in Pittsburgh last Friday. “Rocky Bleier’s Roll Call for the Greatest Generation” paid tribute to the veterans – three posthumously – and included a performance by The Jazz Ambassadors of the United States Army Field Band, the official touring band of the U.S. Army. Bleier, a Vietnam veteran and former Pittsburgh Steelers running back, was chairman of the event and among the large cast of speakers who talked specifically about the demands upon those who served with the Greatest Generation. “They fought a war on two fronts, Europe and Japan. No matter what, everyone wore their (military) patches with pride. There were patches representing the Army, Navy, Coast Guard and Marines. We cared for the wounded, sent the dead home in body bags, and we were not afraid to die.”

Hit: If requested zoning changes are approved, Washington Crown Center could be on the road to becoming a robust part of North Franklin Township’s business community once again. A representative of PREP, an Ohio-based real estate fund management and advisory firm interested in buying the mall, attended a township supervisors meeting earlier this week. The company is asking the supervisors to approve zoning changes to expand possible uses for the site. Among them is transforming it into a business park while also retaining some retail, said Chris Salata, PREP representative. “We do think this is going to be a terrific mix of both retail space as well as business park space, which could open itself to many different types of tenants,” Salata said. The supervisors delayed action on establishing a light industrial redevelopment overlay district – which would allow more businesses to operate without the need for a conditional use permit – and scheduled a special meeting for 5 p.m. June 25. If approved, the company will move ahead with the purchase of the 434,408-square-foot mall – which would not include the property occupied by Crown Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram, Rural King and Mac.Bid – from Kohan Retail Investment Group.