Allegheny Health Network opens new outpatient center in New Kensington

Residents in New Kensington and surrounding communities will once again be able to get laboratory, X-ray and cardiology services without having to travel to a hospital.

Allegheny Health Network officials on Monday cut the ribbon on a new outpatient center located at 1B Kensington Square on Eighth Street, across from Central City Plaza.

The new facility replaces AHN’s outpatient center in the former Citizens General Hospital that closed in September.

The president of Allegheny Valley Hospital, Dr. Vicenta Gaspar-Yoo, said the center is the result of engagement with the community.

“Originally, we were going to shut this (the former outpatient center) down,” she said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“But the citizens of New Kensington were very loud. They spoke to us, wrote letters and talked to me personally, saying that for the past two decades they have been coming to New Ken for their health care. So we delivered.”

The outpatient center was operating out of the Citizens General building since the hospital closed in November 2000.

AHN officials said the former outpatient center was not a cost-effective operation because it needed less than one-sixth of the space that was being leased.

“This center has been designed, first and foremost, with our patients in mind,” said Stephanie Petitta, director of operations for Allegheny Valley Hospital. “Unlike our former site, this center is right-sized for our patients.”

Petitta said all aspects of the center’s operation were taken into consideration when the facility was designed.

“From the bright lighting to the aesthetically pleasing finishes, we devoted a great deal of consideration to the look and feel of this space,” she said.

The center is outfitted with new technology, including a simple feature in the lab she said is greatly appreciated by the staff.

The laboratory services unit now has a pair of padded chairs that can be raised and lowered to help reduce back strain when staff is performing medical procedures.

The chair also can be quickly reclined if a patient feels faint while blood is being drawn.

“We’re very proud of this new center,” she said. “It has been a labor of love to make this a reality for our patients in New Kensington.”

The new center was scheduled to begin seeing patients at 12:30 p.m. on Monday but several patrons already were at the door waiting to get in during the morning ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Dr. William Bailey, Allegheny Valley Hospital’s chief medical officer, said the new center is an example of the changes in the way health care is delivered.

“This place epitomizes the idea that health care can be delivered in a convenient, accessible, close-to-home environment,” he said. “And that’s what we’re trying to deliver to New Kensington today.”

First-term state Rep. Carrie Lewis DelRosso, R-Oakmont, said many of the people she met while going door to door during last year’s campaign indicated that a lack of access to health care was among their greatest concerns.

“Thank you for being so persistent about getting this space up and running,” she said during the ceremony.

She said one of her missions is to help the “up-and-coming area” by working to increase the availability of public transportation to make it easier for residents to travel to obtain services.