Mirabito announces $1.5 million in state funding for Susquehanna Health expansion project

WILLIAMSPORT -- State Rep. Rick Mirabito, D-Lycoming, today announced the Susquehanna Health System's Williamsport Hospital is receiving $1.5 million in funding from the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program.
 
"This funding represents a state investment in jobs, the local economy and quality of life for rural residents, which is why I requested release of these RCAP funds," Mirabito said. "With over 3,000 employees, Susquehanna Health is the largest employer in the 83rd Legislative District and one of the largest non-governmental employers in Pennsylvania. This expansion project is creating more jobs, as well as a state-of-the-art health-care facility for local residents, and I am pleased the state is supporting this important community project."
 
"We started talking about an investment in Williamsport's hospital nearly two years ago when Representative Mirabito invited me to visit the district," said House Appropriations Chairman Dwight Evans, who toured the hospital and met with officials there in January 2009 following a town hall meeting on the site. "Since then, he has been a staunch advocate for this project. He's been extremely persuasive talking about how the state's investment in the hospital will benefit the whole region, not just from a health-care standpoint, but in terms of overall economic development."
 
Mirabito said Susquehanna Health's Project 2010 will:

• increase health-care access to residents in the north central region;
• make available the highest quality of health care in modern facilities;
• provide 500 temporary construction jobs each year of the construction phase through 2012;
• create 230 permanent jobs with family-sustaining wages; and
• create an additional 270 “ripple effect” support jobs across the regional community.

The Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, called RCAP, is a statewide economic development program that pairs state investment with matching private dollars. The program represents the state's commitment to investing in communities, business, industry and most importantly, people.