AHN and Heritage Valley Health plan merger in Pennsylvania
THE MERGER COULD IMPACT PATIENT CARE AND RESPONSE TIMES. WE HEARD FROM NEARLY THREE DOZEN PEOPLE WHO TESTIFIED ABOUT THE POSSIBLE MERGER THAT WOULD ADD HERITAGE VALLEY, SEWICKLEY AND HERITAGE VALLEY BEAVER TO THE ALLEGHENY HEALTH NETWORK HOSPITALS. WE HEARD FROM OFFICIALS WITHIN ALLEGHENY HEALTH NETWORK, AS WELL AS HERITAGE VALLEY, AND WE HEARD FROM POLITICIANS AND UNION REPS AND HEALTH CARE WORKERS WHO SAY LOSING THESE HOSPITALS WILL BE DETRIMENTAL. APPROXIMATELY 54% OF ALL PATIENTS TRANSPORTED BY OUR SERVICE ARE DELIVERED TO A HERITAGE VALLEY FACILITY. THIS REFLECTS A DELIBERATE AND EFFICIENT REGIONAL CARE MODEL THAT REPRESENTS A COMMUNITY HOSPITAL THAT SERVES AS A PRIMARY ACCESS POINT FOR EMERGENCY STABILIZATION AND TREATMENT. PROXIMITY TO DEFINITIVE CARE OF THE ONE OF THE STRONGEST PREDICTORS OF PATIENT SURVIVAL AND CLINICAL OUTCOMES. VALLEY AMBULANCE CHIEF BRIAN HERSCOVITCH WAS ONE OF THE 34 WHO STOOD BEFORE THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL, ALL IN SUPPORT OF A MERGER BETWEEN HERITAGE VALLEY AND ALLEGHENY HEALTH NETWORK. WITHOUT THE MERGER, HERITAGE VALLEY OFFICIALS SAY THEY CANNOT CONTINUE. AND FOR THOSE WHO LIVE AND WORK IN SEWICKLEY AND BEAVER, THAT MEANS NOT ONLY LOSING CLOSE CARE BUT A LARGE NUMBER OF JOBS. HERITAGE VALLEY IS THE NUMBER ONE EMPLOYER FOR BEAVER COUNTY, AND WE CAN’T JUST OVERLOOK THAT. THAT IS A VERY IMPORTANT FACT AS WELL. AND THOSE EMPLOYEES MAKE A GOOD LIVING WAGE. THEY’RE A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND IT WOULD BE DEVASTATING TO HAVE THESE HOSPITALS SHUT DOWN IF YOU DIDN’T HAVE A CHANCE TO ATTEND THIS HEARING. BUT YOU DO STILL WANT TO WEIGH IN. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU. WE HAVE INFORMATION ON HOW YOU CAN REA
Allegheny Health Network and Heritage Valley Health System plan merger
Updated: 6:17 PM EST Feb 16, 2026
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Allegheny Health Network and Heritage Valley Health System are planning a merger that would expand AHN’s footprint into the Beaver County area, adding the Heritage Valley Sewickley and Heritage Valley Beaver hospitals to its network.The merger was agreed upon in October but requires approval from the state attorney general’s office. Monday’s hearing by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office was one of the final steps in the process. During the more than two-hour hearing at the Hilton Garden Inn in Center Township, 34 people spoke in support of the merger, including union representatives, lawmakers and healthcare professionals.Deputy Attorney General Eugene Herne listened to their explanations of why the merger works, while Norm Mitry, CEO of Heritage Valley Health System, explained why it is necessary.”Like many organizations, we never recovered from COVID-19. Pre-COVID, we had 4,100 employees. Today, we average about 3,300 employees. Inpatients used to be about 16,000 admissions a year. Now we’re about 13,800 a year. The percentage of inpatient, outpatient revenue used to be 40% in, 60% out. It is now 30% in and 70% out. And what that means is you have to see a lot more patients to generate the revenue that is necessary,” Mitry said.Everyone who testified Monday said that without the hospitals in Sewickley and Beaver, there would be a significant loss of jobs, increased travel distances for medical care, and a ripple effect impacting other hospitals and ambulance services.”Heritage Valley is the number one employer for Beaver County, and we can’t just overlook that. That is a very important fact as well. And those employees make a good living wage. They’re a part of our community, and it would be devastating to have these hospitals shut down,” state Rep. Josh Kail said.If you weren’t able to testify at Monday’s hearing, you can email the deputy attorney general at the following email address: [email protected]
Allegheny Health Network and Heritage Valley Health System are planning a merger that would expand AHN’s footprint into the Beaver County area, adding the Heritage Valley Sewickley and Heritage Valley Beaver hospitals to its network.
The merger was agreed upon in October but requires approval from the state attorney general’s office. Monday’s hearing by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office was one of the final steps in the process.
During the more than two-hour hearing at the Hilton Garden Inn in Center Township, 34 people spoke in support of the merger, including union representatives, lawmakers and healthcare professionals.
Deputy Attorney General Eugene Herne listened to their explanations of why the merger works, while Norm Mitry, CEO of Heritage Valley Health System, explained why it is necessary.
“Like many organizations, we never recovered from COVID-19. Pre-COVID, we had 4,100 employees. Today, we average about 3,300 employees. Inpatients used to be about 16,000 admissions a year. Now we’re about 13,800 a year. The percentage of inpatient, outpatient revenue used to be 40% in, 60% out. It is now 30% in and 70% out. And what that means is you have to see a lot more patients to generate the revenue that is necessary,” Mitry said.
Everyone who testified Monday said that without the hospitals in Sewickley and Beaver, there would be a significant loss of jobs, increased travel distances for medical care, and a ripple effect impacting other hospitals and ambulance services.
“Heritage Valley is the number one employer for Beaver County, and we can’t just overlook that. That is a very important fact as well. And those employees make a good living wage. They’re a part of our community, and it would be devastating to have these hospitals shut down,” state Rep. Josh Kail said.
If you weren’t able to testify at Monday’s hearing, you can email the deputy attorney general at the following email address:
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