Kinkead highlights community work at formerly closed hospital
Lawmakers discuss agriculture, economic development
Rep. Emily Kinkead July 31, 2024 | 12:56 PM
BELLEVUE, July 31 – When a community experiences an economic downturn and community pillars are threatened, a population decrease and economic hardships can transform the community. The residents who remain face new challenges and obstacles, but the work being done in Allegheny County highlights how a community can overcome obstacles.
“I wanted to bring lawmakers to my district to highlight the incredible and transformative work being done at what was formerly a closed hospital,” said Rep. Kinkead, who hosted the hearing and represents portions of Allegheny County. “Communities aren’t dealing with one challenge, but a multitude of issues, and AHN Suburban illustrates why it’s important not to silo these issues but address all of the numerous inner-related issues.”
Kinkead’s roundtable and tour illustrated why agriculture matters to everyone. Testifiers detailed food insecurity that happens across the state, in rural areas and cities. Testifiers included representatives from food banks, farm owners, school district officials and leaders from Allegheny Health Network. Several explained how important state funding has been to address food insecurity and the need to preserve prime farmland.
Dr. Jeff Cohen, the chief physician and executive of community health and innovation at Allegheny Health Network, talked about the challenges in Bellevue. Formerly a higher income area, when jobs became scarce the people who remained in the community experienced numerous inner-related issues: lack of health care access, lack of services, food insecurity, education and options for high school graduates.
“Rural Pennsylvania and the entire state are often encountering issues where former vibrant spaces are now not being used,” House Majority Policy Chairman Ryan Bizzarro said. “We witnessed the work and transformation of a full-service hospital that has been converted into spaces used for innovative programs and education. This space has helped become a solution for the community and not a problem.”
Wednesday’s House Majority Policy roundtable and tour featured testimony from Dr. Cohen of Allegheny Health Network; Chris Caton from Northgate School District; Stephen O’Brion from Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank; Chuck Turner from Turner Dairy Farms; and Amy McChesney from McChesney Farms.
Cohen detailed how two health care services are now located in the AHN Suburban, serving two populations of the community. The primary care physician space is located where the hospital’s ER used to be housed.
Dr. Caton from Northgate School District highlighted how when they first walked through AHN Suburban’s building years ago, they saw a typical closed hospital – a building that was dirty and empty.
Since then, Northgate has turned a space formerly used for kidney dialysis into an area of learning. It uses the space for STEM, hands-on learning, horticulture and more. The school turned the space into an inviting area and it has greatly decreased the number of students who are undecided on their path after graduation. Northgate has built greenhouse spaces, and they highlighted how horticulture therapy and equine therapy are being implemented in a district that serves about 1,100 students. Those therapy programs help address students’ mental health concerns.
The former hospital in Bellevue has been transformed through grant-funded partnerships with the Department of Community and Economic Development and philanthropy.
Portions of the space have been used to depict hospitals on film and television, including five feature-length films including the Tom Hanks’ movie “A Man Called Otto” as well as the Jeremy Renner series “Mayor of Kingstown.”
Chuck Turner and Amy McChesney talked about the importance of agriculture, preserving farmland, including farmers in the decision-making in Harrisburg, and investing in Pennsylvania’s largest industry. The also discussed the crisis in access to veterinary care for our farmers.
Information about this hearing and other House Majority Policy Committee hearings can be found at pahouse.com/policy. Photos to be used for publication can be found at pahouse.com/PolicyCommittee/Galleries.