Highlands Hospital in Connellsville, Pa., officially joined DuBois, Pa.-based Penn Highlands Healthcare April 1 after receiving regulatory approvals, becoming the system's eighth hospital.
The 64-bed hospital is now named Penn Highlands Connellsville, according to an April 1 Penn Highlands news release.
The boards of the organizations signed a definitive agreement in December 2021. The deal allows Penn Highlands to continue its expansion into Southwestern Pennsylvania, according to the release. Highlands Hospital is Penn Highland's second hospital in the region.
"This affiliation will be great for our community," Highlands Hospital President and CEO John Andursky said in the release. "By partnering with Penn Highlands Healthcare, it will strengthen our ability to recruit new providers and expand services that will ultimately enable the people in the Connellsville area to remain in our region to receive care."