The Daily Collegian
Courtesy of mountnittany.org
Mount Nittany Medical Center will open a new wing next week.
Hospital set
open new wing
By Mike Hricik
FOR IHE COLLET-’
Mount Nittany Medical
Center's newest expansion a
state-of-the-art $3B million East
Wing is slated to open next
week to patients.
When the wing opens, the hos
pital will be able to administer
care to GO more patients. About 20
jobs will be created with the
wing's opening, said Janet
Schachtner, chief nursing officer
and senior vice president of
patient services.
The Commitment to
Distinction Foundation, a charita
ble fund committed to supporting
the East Wing facilities, has
raised more than $12.5 million,
hospital communications manag
er Nichoie Cook Monica said.
Joe and Sue Paterno donated
SI million to the foundation in
June 2009. Cook Monica said.
The 65.000 square foot addition
was built to ease room problems,
Schachtner said.
"We needed the additional
space. We actually had multiple
days at full capacity." she said.
"The East Wing satisfies our
capacity needs and expands our
critical care."
Construction began above
standing floors in May 2009.
Construction ended in June 2010,
but workers are still completing
last-minute preparations for
opening ceremonies. Interim
Vice President and Plant
Services Supervisor Lou
Brungard said.
Following cleaning next week,
the East Wing will receive
patients during the first week of
August. Brungard said.
Pennsylvania students lead the fight for gay rights
By Julia Terruso
it PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
ARDMORE Jason Goodman
didn't set out last year to be the
face of gay rights in Lower
Merion.
He was just a college student
looking for a summer job.
But as he flipped through
employment manuals, the openly
gay resident made a discovery he
deemed "shocking."
Basically, he had no equal
employment rights. And state and
federal legislators weren't about
to give him any.
Anyone could deny Goodman a
job because of his sexual orienta
tion. with no law to stand in the
way. Nothing federal, nothing
statewide nothing even, the
University of Pennsylvania senior
said, "in the community that I love
and have grown up in."
Fast-forward one year, and
Goodman. 21. who lives in Bala
Cynvvyd in the township, finds
himself at the fore of a small but
grow ing trend in Pennsylvania. He
is prodding Lower Merion to join
16 other municipal and county
governments in Pennsylvania that
have enacted laws protecting
members of the lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender
(LGBT) community from discrim
ination.
College 2lll -yJI
You know you want to. gglffnfD
The expansion also serves as
an outlet of innovation for the
hospital.
Several advanced features
were included in the addition.
Oxygen outlets were added to
every bathroom to prevent staff
members from stretching exten
sion tubes from room walls, and
patient flow concerns we re
addressed through design.
Cabinet space has expanded to
aid nurses. Schachtner said.
Patient lifts were included in all
rooms and a computerized
pharmaceutical system will be
implemented to provide stream
lined patient access to medica
tions.
Mount Nittany Medical Center
is the first hospital in the state to
initiate such a program.
Brungard said.
Existing facilities were also
improved during building.
Additional parking was added to
accommodate new patients.
Storm water management sys
tems and lighting was also updat
ed, Brungard said.
The East Wing design process
was receptive to ideas, Brungard
said.
"It included employees and
staff. We constructed model
rooms and bussed folks down to
our warehouse for their feedback
and evaluation," Brungard said.
Emphasis was placed on com
fort. Schachtner said.
"Based on patient and slab
needs, it was very obvious that
we needed to improve noise, pri
vacy and comfort," she said. "We
wanted to try as much as possible
to give our patients opportunities
for single rooms to the extent
that we can."
On July 7, Goodman and mem
bers of his group. Equality Lower
Merion, watched as 13 township
commissioners voted without dis
sent to draft an ordinance he pro
posed.
Next month in Doyles town, the
Borough Council is poised to pass
an LGBT anti-discrimination ordi
nance.
And in Radnor, another college
student Pennsylvania State
University sophomore Taj
Magruder is trying to replicate
Goodman's success in his home
town.
“We're ready to change the
world, and we're not afraid to go
out and to start doing it,”
Goodman said of this youth-driven
activism.
In 21 states New Jersey,
Delaware, New York, and
Maryland among them his
ardor could have been spared for
other causes. But Pennsylvania
legislators have been loath to con
sider adding an LGBT clause to
the state's anti-discrimination
statute.
“The whole world is inexorably
headed in the direction of recog
nizing civil rights for these folks,"
said State Rep. Dan Frankel (D..
Allegheny), who has introduced
such legislation for the last 10
years.
“As usual, Pennsylvania is late
g
Delivery Drivers
& all other staff positions
"rtt
Benefits will change
! Rising costs have PSU
| changing health plans
to fit the 2011 budget.
By Casey McDermott
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
Penn State officials said univer
sity employees can expect
changes to the university's health
benefits plan in 2011 as an effort
to "control rising costs."
Expected changes include
added "cost-sharing" measures,
bui university spokeswoman
Annemarie Mountz said the exact
changes have yet to be finalized
and that Penn State isn’t sure
when more details will be made
available.
The necessary changes will
affect all of the university's
employees. Mountz said, because
the current rate of health care
costs at the university was on
track to become more than the
university could handle.
Without changes, she said,
costs are expected to reach more
than $2OO million by 2011 up
from the more than $lBO million
the university currently budgets.
"It's the old formula: What goes
out has to be balanced by what
comes in you can t spend what
you don't have." she said. "Health
care benefits are one of the quick-
UPUA holds safety session
Freshmen learn about potential dangers
By Kathleen Loughran
GGi. FGIAN SFAFF WRITER
The University Park
l 'ndergraduale Association
>l Id ; A> held a sexual assault and
underage drinking information
session geared towards freshmen
students at T p.m. Thursday in 173
Willard.
•\tulra Hixson from the Center
Women Students spoke to a
group of students first
sexual assault awareness.
Hixson said the center sees at
,ea>i ino students a year who
seek belt). !■«) percent of whom are
also said that 90 per
toi !Jie time people are victim
'•ed lav aon-si rangers, and about
v> |«Tcrnt of the time alcohol or
are involved.
Those two topics definitely
v.e;*\ o together pretty tightly,”
-h*> said. -Oftentimes a person
passes out and then tries to piece
' i i _ > back together.
Unfortunately one of the most
vulnerable groups on campus are
freshmen.”
to the table on anything with
even a semblance of progressive-
()ii one hand, Frankel said,
most Fortune 500 companies pro
vide employment protections for
LGRT people. On the other, “I
have colleagues who insist that
they've never met (an LGBT) per
son."
In increasing numbers, local
governments have begun to fill
that void.
Arts, municipalities that have
passed iaws include Philadelphia,
Lansdowne. Swarthmore. West
Chester, and New Hope.
?> pit-ally the laws forbid dis
crimination in housing, employ
ment. and public accommodations
based on sexual preference or
gender identity. Most set up
human relations commissions to
investigate and adjudicate com
plaints. and to assess civil dam
ages if necessary’. Many include a
public education component as
well
Federal and state laws have
long banned discrimination based
on race, age, religion, ethnicity,
and disability.
it you fire someone and say, I
fired you because you’re black,’
you've got three laws that apply,”
said lawyer Katie Evers, who
drafted several of the ordinances.
"It you say, 1 fired you because of
■emeu.
est rising costs from the universi
ty with the appropriation as it is,
and with the financial difficulty
the state has because of the
recession.”
Reducing the rate of health
care cost increases was also one
of the goals listed in Penn State’s
most recent Strategic Plan,
implemented from August 2009
through 2014.
“This is one of the important
actions that is to be added in first
year of strategic plan,” Mountz
said. “So that’s why this is hap
pening now.”
According to the plan, consider
ations for future health care
changes might include additional
wellness education and incen
tives, different rates for employ
ees who engage in high-risk
behavior and changes to employ
ee deductible and co-pays.
Penn State’s insurance is
administered through Highmark
Blue Shield, but the university is
self-insured.
This is an important distinction
to make, Mountz said.
“If you have a doctor’s visit, you
have a co-pay, and Penn State
pays the rest of it," she said.
“Every penny that’s paid to cover
healthcare costs comes from
either the employee or Penn
State.”
Highmark spokesperson Phil
Hixson said the main reason
freshmen are particularly vulner
able is because they commonly
experience a “false sense of secu
rity"
Overall, Hixson stressed the
importance of knowing what sex
ual assault is and being able to be
a resource for someone if it is
needed.
“It's important as a friend to
not be judgmental,” she said. “It’s
important to remember that
you’re not the detective. You need
to be supportive.”
Hixson said the university
offers many resources for those
who have been victimized, such
as free counseling and medical
care.
After Hixson finished talking.
Penn State-Police Officer Aaron
Ciambotti spoke mainly about the
problems with underage drink
ing.
"I have a job because of alcohol.
In almost everything we deal with
alcohol is a problem” Ciambotti
said.
“We’re not bloodthirsty guys
that can't wait to give citations. If
Jason Goodman, a student at the University of Pennsylvania, gives a
speech about t(ie importance of equal rights.
your sexual orientation,’ there's seem more public statement than
no claim that can be brought.” public necessity.
As municipalities consider "Preventing cases and address
these laws, the questions are usu- ing them sends the message that
ally the same, said Stephen we value you, you’re a part of this
Glassman, chairman of the community, we will stand with you.
Pennsylvania Human Relations we will not tolerate homophobia,"
Commission. “Is it necessary? Is it Goodman said, “just like we will
legal? And how much will it cost?” not tolerate racism or any other
To be sure, some of the laws form of discrimination.”
Friday, July 30, 2010 I 3
Neubauer said the company pro
vides insurance for multiple uni
versities, and larger organiza
tions tend to operate through the
company’s “Administrative
Services Only” plan.
Neubauer also said it’s becom
ing more common to see health
care plans that are set up similar
to a savings account where
employees pay into a fund and
take out as needed.
"Especially as there are so
many changes in the health care
industry, more and more employ
ees are being asked to shoulder
more of the load. ” Neubauer said.
Employers, he said, will often
match the contributions their
employees make to these
accounts.
Penn State isn’t exempt from
these changes, Mountz said, and
the university' is making efforts to
avoid hurting employees' bene
fits.
"Health care costs are one of
the biggest expenses that
employers have, not just at Penn
State and not just in higher edu
cation, but across the nation,”
Mountz said. “Penn State works
hard to provide the quality bene
fits that Penn State wants to pro
vide in a way that won’t bankrupt
the university. ”
To e-mail reporter: cmms773@psu.edu
we stop you. there’s a reason.
Ciambotti said he doesn't want
to stop people from having fun,
but he said his concern is when
people drink too much and create
scary situations.
"When you cross the line
when you become a danger to
yourself it becomes an issue.”
he said.
Karen Hetrick said she was
glad that she she took the time to
come to the special information
session.
"They gave very good advice to
look for yourself and your
friends,” Hetrick (freshman - divi
sion of undergraduate studies)
said.
'lt all comes down to vour deci-
UPUA Executive Director of
Freshmen Outreach Rebecca .Ait
(sophomore- communication arts
and sciences) said UPUA is plan
ning on having more safety
events in the fall because she said
it’s important to continue the edu
cation.
To e-mail reporter: krlslo6@psu.edu