State Rep. Neal P. Goodman and Gov. Tom Wolf announced that Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill will receive a $2 million state grant that will allow it to continue providing quality health care and preserve family-sustaining jobs.

"This grant will ensure local residents will continue to receive top-notch health care, as well as protect the economic health of Schuylkill County," said Goodman, whose 123rd Legislative District includes the two Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill facilities in Pottsville."Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill is the single largest private employer in my legislative district, providing 1,300 jobs."The grant, awarded through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, provides funding for regional, economic, cultural, civic and historical improvement projects.Goodman said it was an honor to work with Wolf and his staff to secure this much-needed funding that will be used to integrate the former Good Samaritan and Pottsville hospitals, and to make upgrades."This project means better access to both emergency and routine medical care for people living in Schuylkill County, particularly those in rural areas," Wolf said.Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill President William J. Reppy said the grant will be used to integrate two facilities in Pottsville, consolidating acute, medical/surgical services at the East Norwegian Street campus while keeping adult and adolescent behavioral health and obstetrics at the South Jackson Street campus.Reppy said the funding will help the hospital purchase high-quality technology and retain and recruit top-notch staffing.One improvement is the renovation of 17,000 square feet of space to create an emergency department for an estimated 42,000 patients per year at the East Norwegian Street campus. Reppy said that's triple the size of the old emergency department.State Sen. David G. Argall, state Rep. Mike Tobash and state Rep. Jerry Knowles hailed the grant and the work of the hospital."These upgrades are critical for the care and services residents of our county have come to expect with this local hospital," said Argall, R-Schuylkill/Berks."This grant, in addition to the private-sector dollars raised, will allow the hospital - Schuylkill County's leading employer - to make upgrades to keep pace with changes in technology and medicine. Most importantly, this investment will improve the lifesaving services local residents have come to depend upon.""I want to express my appreciation to Representative Goodman for taking the lead role in the House, and for working with Senator Argall in the Senate, to secure this RACP grant for Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill," said Knowles, R-Berks/Carbon/Schuylkill."This grant is another example of the Schuylkill County delegation working together in a bipartisan fashion. This money will certainly be put to good use to provide exceptional medical care for residents of Schuylkill County and beyond.""Quality health care is one of the most important factors in the community, and this grant will ensure we continue to have that," said Tobash, R-Schuylkill/Berks."I believe the future of health care through this partnership is very bright."