Highlands Hospital Takes Care of Community Through 3 Illnesses

Submitted Karen Parlak (left) and Charlie Brown, two nurses at Highlands Hospital who are on the front line are shown in front of a historical Highlands Hospital photo.

Highlands Hospital in Connellsville has been taking care of its community for almost 130 years through three devastating diseases, including the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918, the polio outbreak in the1950s and the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Marcy Ozoroski, former president of AFSCME No. 2340 who has worked as a patient accounting assistant for the Hospital for 36 years, said the original hospital was named Cottage State Hospital and was established in 1890 with its first patient admitted in 1891.

It later came under state ownership and was established for coal miners, she said.

Ozoroski said nurses lived in the red brick structure that is still visible as the East Wing in 1953 that now houses payroll, accounting, human resources, education and employee health.

“We are a 64-bed facility that is the second largest employer in the city with over 400 employees,” she said.

As the local economy and population declined with the recession of the 1970s, the state’s efforts to own and manage health care facilities also diminished.

In 1985, after years of speculation that the hospital would close, Pennsylvania fully divested itself of Connellsville State Hospital, giving ownership and management over to the local community. It was the first of eight stateowned hospitals to go private.

To assure the institution’s stability and success, the divestiture agreement provided for oversight by a local Board of Directors. It also required a partnership with an established health care organization which Forbes Health System fulfilled, allowing Highlands to still retain its operational control and identity.

On September 7, 1985, Highlands Hospital was introduced to the community as a not-for-profit institution and a member of the Forbes Health System.

Following 10 years of growth and improvements to its facilities, services and technology, Highlands Hospital separated from the Forbes Health System in order to focus more on the changing health care needs and issues of the local community.

Highlands Hospital then entered into a three-year partnership with the nearby Frick Hospital, resulting in the Fay-West Health System. Philosophical differences and strategic disparities led to an eventual disassociation in 2000.

Highlands Hospital now operates as an independent, not-for-profit acute care hospital, constantly striving to keep quality care and leading edge technology available and accessible to residents in the Connellsville area.

The Spanish flu epidemic was in 1918-1920, so the hospital was here for 28 years before that pandemic, according to Ozorowski. “I think it is such a great testament to our hospital to have been taking care of our community for almost 130 years, through three devastating diseases,” she said.

“Unfortunately, it is times like this (COVID-19 pandemic) that make us truly appreciate having a local hospital, and we should remind our state and federal governments how overwhelming the spread of these diseases would be without the vigilance of the small town hospitals,” she said.

“They should be making every effort to keep them viable and accessible to its citizens,” she added. “Connellsville is very blessed to have local healthcare to depend upon all of the time.”

As the local economy and population declined with the recession of the 1970s, the state’s efforts to own and manage health care facilities also diminished.

In 1985, after years of speculation that the hospital would close, Pennsylvania fully divested itself of “Connellsville State Hospital,” giving ownership and management over to the local community. It was the first of eight state-owned hospitals to go private.

To assure the institution’s stability and success, the divestiture agreement provided for oversight by a local Board of Directors.

It also required a partnership with an established health care organization which Forbes Health System fulfilled, allowing Highlands to still retain its operational control and identity.

On September 7, 1985, Highlands Hospital was introduced to the community as a not-for-profit institution and member of the Forbes Health System. Following 10 years of growth and improvements to its facilities, services, and technology, Highlands Hospital separated from the Forbes Health System in order to focus more on the changing health care needs and issues of the local community.

Highlands Hospital then entered a three-year partnership with the nearby Frick Hospital, resulting in the Fay-West Health System.

Philosophical differences and strategic disparities led to an eventual disassociation in 2000.

Highlands Hospital now operates as an independent, not-for-profit acute care hospital, constantly striving to keep quality care and leading edge technology available and accessible to residents in the Connellsville area.

APRIL 24, 2020, BY CINDY EKAS