Penn State Hershey

Penn State Hershey
Name	Penn State Hershey
Type	Public academic medical center
Established	1963
City	Hershey
State	Pennsylvania
Country	United States
Campus	Suburban
Parent	Pennsylvania State University

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Penn State Hershey Penn State Hershey is an academic medical center combining clinical care, biomedical research, and health professions education connected to Pennsylvania State University, located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, near Harrisburg, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and York, Pennsylvania. The campus hosts a medical school, research institutes, and a large hospital complex that has affiliations with national organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and the American Medical Association. Scholars, clinicians, and students at the center collaborate with partners including Johns Hopkins Hospital, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Harvard Medical School, and University of Pennsylvania Health System.

History

The institution traces roots to the philanthropic initiatives of Milton S. Hershey and the expansion of health services in central Pennsylvania during the mid-20th century, intersecting with developments at the Pennsylvania State University main campus in University Park, Pennsylvania and statewide higher education policy by the Pennsylvania General Assembly. During the 1960s, leaders from Milton Hershey School and the Hershey Chocolate Corporation coordinated with medical educators influenced by curricula from Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University School of Medicine, and Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons to establish a clinical campus. Growth occurred alongside federal funding streams from the National Science Foundation and grants from the National Institutes of Health, while accreditation milestones involved the Liaison Committee on Medical Education and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Major capital projects paralleled partnerships with industry giants such as Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and GlaxoSmithKline, and academic collaborations with centers like Mayo Clinic School of Medicine and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine shaped residency programs.

The suburban campus in Derry Township, Pennsylvania includes clinical towers, laboratory complexes, simulation centers, and libraries modeled after collections at New York Public Library and archives inspired by National Library of Medicine standards. Facilities encompass research buildings with cores for genomics, proteomics, and imaging that collaborate with labs at NIH, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and Broad Institute. Clinical facilities include inpatient beds comparable to those at Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and ambulatory clinics that coordinate care with networks such as Geisinger Health System, UPMC, and Kaiser Permanente. The campus features the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center campus operations, simulation centers equipped with technology vendors like Laerdal Medical and CAE Healthcare, and specialized centers in partnership with foundations including the March of Dimes and American Heart Association.

Educational programs span degree offerings in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health, and allied health professions influenced by curricula and accreditation standards from Association of American Medical Colleges, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. Research emphasis areas include cancer biology linked to collaborations with MD Anderson Cancer Center and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, neuroscience with ties to Massachusetts General Hospital and Salk Institute, cardiovascular research partnering with Cleveland Clinic, and translational science connected to NIH Clinical Center initiatives. Faculty receive grants from the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and private foundations such as the Gates Foundation and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Graduate training aligns with doctoral programs and postdoctoral fellowships modeled on programs at Yale School of Medicine, UCSF School of Medicine, and University of Michigan Medical School.

The health system delivers tertiary and quaternary services, trauma care accredited by the American College of Surgeons, and specialty programs in oncology, cardiology, neurosurgery, and pediatrics that coordinate referrals with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and regional hospitals across Pennsylvania. Telemedicine initiatives integrate platforms developed by Teladoc Health and partnerships with state health departments akin to Virginia Department of Health programs. Quality and safety efforts engage standards from the Joint Commission and performance collaboratives involving Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Clinical trials operate in consortia with Cooperative Oncology Group networks and pharmaceutical sponsors including Merck, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Novartis.

Students live in campus housing modeled after residence life practices at Rutgers University and University of Maryland, Baltimore, with student organizations reflecting national bodies like the American Medical Student Association, Student Nurses' Association, and the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists. Campus life features student government structures influenced by the Association of American Universities member institutions, campus recreation programs paralleling those at Penn State University Park, and cultural events in collaboration with groups such as Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company and regional arts partners like Hershey Theatre and Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival. Wellness initiatives follow recommendations from American College Health Association and interprofessional education activities mirror models at Interprofessional Education Collaborative member institutions.

Category:Pennsylvania State University colleges and campuses