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Healthcare in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has one of the most extensive healthcare systems in the nation, anchored by world-class medical institutions in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital make Philadelphia a national medical destination. In western Pennsylvania, UPMC has grown into one of the largest integrated healthcare delivery and financing systems in the country. With approximately 45,000 active physicians and a rate of 349 per 100,000, the state has a strong physician density. Pennsylvania's seven medical schools, including the University of Pennsylvania (the nation's first medical school), produce a formidable physician workforce. Despite the concentration of medical excellence in its two major cities, rural Central Pennsylvania and the northern tier face significant physician shortages. Penn State Hershey Medical Center in central Pennsylvania helps bridge this gap. The state has expanded Medicaid, extending coverage to hundreds of thousands of additional residents. Allentown-Bethlehem, Scranton, and Erie serve as regional healthcare centers. Pennsylvania's aging population, one of the oldest in the nation, drives strong demand for geriatric care, cardiology, and oncology services. The state has been an important site for medical innovation dating back to the nation's founding.