January 28, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Lancaster Residents Dig in for a Fight To Keep UPMC Open
Put People First! PA – Lancaster Healthcare Rights Committee to rally
at office of Lancaster County Commissioners

WHAT: Lancaster members of Put People First! PA, a grassroots, statewide organization of people directly impacted by the healthcare crisis, will call for immediate action from our county commissioners regarding the closing and demolition of UPMC Pinnacle Lancaster Hospital, located at 250 College Avenue, by rallying outside County Government Center.
WHERE: Lancaster County Government Center, 150 N Queen Street, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
WHEN: Wednesday January 30, 2019, at 1:00 pm

Since the December 18th meeting of the Lancaster City Council, the slated closure of the UPMC-Pinnacle hospital has begun to raise alarm in our community. On December 23, 2018 the LNP Editorial Board wrote, “We think there ought to be more important considerations than a health system’s bottom line…. It’s not asking too much to have some choice in where one gets one’s health care. But increasingly, we are being left with fewer choices — and no way of changing that reality.” (1)

The Lancaster Healthcare Rights Committee will be taking action to protect our basic human right to healthcare here in Lancaster. County Commissioners should do everything in their power to keep UPMC Pinnacle open, and we appeal to the public to take action to protect our local jobs and healthcare services.  

“Closing this hospital will hurt those of us who are already struggling. Lack of access to healthcare services lead to health issues, leading to job loss, homelessness and poverty, making this a crisis we can’t ignore. We must stop UPMC Pinnacle Lancaster from closing until our concerns are addressed. We need to hear that our elected representatives care about our well-being ,” stated Tammy Rojas, member of Put People First! PA and Coordinator of the Lancaster Healthcare Rights Committee during City Council Meeting on December 18, 2018. (2)

These closures illustrate the need for a Public Healthcare Advocate in the State government, who can act on behalf of Pennsylvania residents who are at the mercy of for-profit healthcare providers, an issue that Put People First! PA has been raising across the State.

Put People First! PA has members in 17 counties waging their “Healthcare is a Human Right” campaign. Last September, the Lancaster Healthcare Rights Committee held a demonstration against substandard care and working conditions at ManorCare Lancaster, as part of a Statewide Week of Action in York, Lancaster, Pittsburgh, and Johnstown PA. Since then the Lancaster Healthcare Rights Committee has been at the forefront of the fight to keep UPMC Pinnacle Lancaster open.

1. https://lancasteronline.com/opinion/editorials/closure-of-upmc-pinnacle-lancaster-highlights-the-tough-realities-of/article_bf54ae02-056e-11e9-beaf-7be77f37c05a.html
2. https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/city-council-passes-lancaster-s-budget-gets-earful-over-upmc/article_d3c1e472-033e-11e9-aaac-af061e4653c8.html