Geisinger Invests in Pittston Township Healthplex

Geisinger has announced the development of an $80 million outpatient facility that will make better health easier for residents of northeastern Pennsylvania by improving availability and convenience of a variety of in-demand health services — from surgery to eye care.

Centrally located between Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, the 124,000 square-foot Geisinger Healthplex CenterPoint will house nine clinical suites providing services in surgery and endoscopy, orthopaedics, urology, ophthalmology and retail eyewear, laboratory and imaging, and a hybrid medical and orthopaedic ConvenientCare.

The healthplex will be located at 1201 Oak St., Pittston Township, previously the site of a Walmart. Situated near junctions of state Route 315, Interstate 81 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the facility is a short trip from either city.

Designed to bring together services that complement each other, such as diagnostic imaging and orthopaedics, the healthplex will reduce the need for patients to go to different facilities for related appointments. It will have ample, ground-level parking, multiple entry points and will be reachable by public transportation.

The project, expected to be complete by summer 2022, will create 154 jobs and is the latest in a line of Geisinger investments totaling more than $200 million in Luzerne County since the beginning of 2019. Each investment has been dedicated to expanding services, providing the latest technology and advancements in treatment, and bringing world-class care closer to home for people living in northeastern Pennsylvania.

The healthplex will allow Geisinger to offer more appointments in the services provided and to hire new providers, which means patients will experience shorter wait times between scheduling an appointment and being seen by a provider.

“When we looked at the services needed by our patients here in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties, we realized we were limited by the space we had available,” said Ron Beer, chief administrative officer of Geisinger’s northeast region. “This location makes care more accessible to our friends and neighbors, because it’s about as centralized between Scranton and Wilkes- Barre as it can be, truly making it easier for our patients and members in both counties to get the care they need more quickly.”

Geisinger Healthplex CenterPoint will offer treatment options unique to the region. Bolstering a wide range of sports medicine, hand, and foot and ankle services, the orthopaedics team will perform arthroscopic hip procedures and wide awake local anesthesia no tourniquet (WALANT) procedures, which can treat conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis and reduce recovery times.

A complete subspecialty eye-care program will feature ophthalmic providers capable of delivering virtually any service a patient may need, including neuro ophthalmology care and pediatric ophthalmology care, which are currently limited in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties.

The team will also perform LASIK surgery, a first for Geisinger in the northeast region. Extended hours of operation will be available for diagnostic and by-appointment or walk-in ConvenientCare services, and amenities will include a central café and atrium with outdoor green space and seating. Modern design will create a bright, inviting atmosphere designed for patient comfort, and facial recognition technology will be available for easy check-in.

“Geisinger Healthplex CenterPoint will offer distinctive, convenient care to the people of northeastern Pennsylvania,” Beer said. “Along with expanded services, we’re proud that our growth means more employment opportunities for local residents. We’re also excited to be renovating a space that was a popular place of commerce for the community. What was a frequented place of business will now be an easy-to-reach destination for exceptional care.”

Investments in Luzerne County since January 2019:

• January 2019: $3.1 million, 8,000 square-foot inpatient wing opens at Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre with 14 private rooms for patients with medical and surgical needs
• May 2019: $22 million Central Utility Plant completed at Geisinger Wyoming Valley
• Medical Center, increasing utility capacity for the campus, which paves the way for future service growth, and decreasing energy consumption by 40 percent
• August 2019: $3 million 65 Forward Health Center opens in Kingston, bringing concierge-style primary care to Geisinger members 65 and older
• March 2020: $6.5 million installation of CyberKnife S7 technology for targeted radiation therapy at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center
• July 2020: Construction begins on $80 million renovation and expansion of Geisinger
• Wyoming Valley Medical Center and the Frank M. and Dorothea Henry Cancer Center
• October 2020: $3 million 65 Forward Health Center opens in downtown Wilkes-Barre
• November 2020: $3.3 million 65 Forward Health Center opens in West Hazleton