Overview
Allegheny Health Network (AHN), an affiliate of Highmark Health, is a nonprofit, charitable organization that serves western Pennsylvania and parts of neighboring states. Commencing operations in 2013, AHN is a $5.1 billion health and wellness organization that has more than 300 clinical locations, including 13 hospitals throughout western Pennsylvania and one in western New York; six Health + Wellness Pavilions; three sports performance and medicine campuses; a comprehensive research institute; ambulatory surgery centers; employed physician organizations; home- and community-based health services; and a group purchasing organization.
AHN employs about 23,700 people, has 2,500 physicians on its medical staff, is affiliated with two nursing regional schools, and serves as a clinical campus for Drexel University College of Medicine and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.
READ MOREMedical breakthroughs: AHN invests in region's health through innovation
A contribution from the Mario Lemieux Foundation, creating the Mario Lemieux Center for Heart Rhythm Care, will support the research of AHN Cardiovascular Institute physicians.
In May 2024, Allegheny Health Network (AHN) announced a $5 million commitment from the Mario Lemieux Foundation and Highmark Health to create the Mario Lemieux Center for Heart Rhythm Care at Allegheny General Hospital.
It's yet another example of how AHN is collaborating with Highmark Health, community partners, and others to transform health care — now, and for the future.
"Advancing the practice of medicine requires innovative medical minds supported by resources to drive that innovation," said Bethany Casagranda, DO, MBA, chief medical officer, AHN. "It requires commitment to investigate problems and create meaningful, evidence-based change. By supporting innovative clinical minds, funding leading-edge research programs, and receiving passionate community support, we can create lasting evidence-based outcomes that demonstrate our commitment to improving lives."
In 2024 alone, AHN announced a new collaboration with regional emergency medical services (EMS) to treat cardiac arrest patients with a special heart-lung bypass machine as soon as possible rather than traditional resuscitation techniques; launched a clinical trial exploring how Apple smartwatches can be used to wean atrial fibrillation patients off of daily blood thinners; and became the first hospital system in Pennsylvania to implant a breakthrough, first-of-its-kind device to repair leaky tricuspid heart valves.
And those are just innovations in cardiovascular medicine. Surgeons from the AHN Neuroscience Institute this year also became the first in western Pennsylvania to use deep-brain stimulation to treat opioid addiction; AHN's Cancer Institute was the first in western Pennsylvania to offer the groundbreaking Amtagvi T-cell therapy for late-stage melanoma; and the AHN Orthopaedic Institute launched the region's first shoulder-replacement program in a stand-alone outpatient surgery center.
AHN also planted the seeds for future game-changing innovations in care delivery and preventive health solutions by establishing several new investment funds and endowed chair positions, including a $10 million life-sciences fund with partner Innovation Works to operate AlphaLab Health, the Julie and Michael McMullen Endowed Chair in Gynecologic Oncology, the Banman-Lupke Patrick J. DeMeo Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery, and the Gerald E. McGinnis Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine.
"All of these investments in AHN's clinical, academic, and research programs support our broader Living Health blueprint, and our goal of saving lives, promoting healthier living, and getting ahead of chronic health issues," said Dr. David Bartlett, chair of the AHN Cancer Institute and medical director of the AHN Research Institute.
A legacy of innovation at the AHN Cardiovascular Institute [video]
Read the transcript
Jimmie (patient of AHN Cardiovascular Institute): This had to work. That's what was going through my mind.
Michael (patient of AHN Cardiovascular Institute): I felt that I was sliding into a dark place in my life.
Alexis (patient of AHN Cardiovascular Institute): I wouldn't have had surgery. I wouldn't have had this internal device put in. I don't know what else would have happened if I didn't meet him.
Dr. Amit Thosani: What we do matters for patients in a life or death situation. So you have to be on every time. I know that everything is going to happen the right way, in a few seconds — you’re about to watch it.
Dr. Stephen Bailey: AGH has a decades long history of leadership and innovation in terms of advancing cardiovascular techniques and procedures. We couldn't be more appreciative of the collaboration and the support of the Mario Lemieux Foundation.
Caitlin Phalunas: The 2019 gift was very exciting — we were able to pretty much start our electrophysiology research program with that.
David Holmberg: With this gift, what we're going to do for the health of the entire region is to build a championship program. And this is just the beginning of the investment.
Dr. Emerson Liu: Electrophysiology is a field that intersects a lot of the patient's other medical conditions, and the treatments range from medications to procedures to implantable devices.
Tom Grealish: Dr. Thosani and his team have created a culture of teamwork, and it’s not surprising that it relates to us. Our chairman was a team player. He was a team owner. He understands the importance of teams working collaboratively, together.
Jimmie: I met Mario the first time, I talked about having AFib, and I would just like to say thanks to him. Because of his generosity, all of us are going to have better lives.
My PCP found out that there was an irregular heartbeat. The hardest part for me was Jada, because we had just lost my wife, so I'm a single parent, and I did not want to leave her.
Dr. Amit Thosani: Jimmie has done remarkably well after undergoing catheter ablation and really is an example of the impact that we're fortunate to have for many of our patients in improving their quality of life.
Jimmie: My body is back to being the way it should be, and I plan on being around for a long time.
Dr. Amit Thosani: Alexis had an event that has been really in the public's eye. Everyone knows what happened to Damar Hamlin, and less than 10% of patients who have a cardiac arrest survive, and Alexis is one of those survival stories.
Alexis: I woke up that day, I was 36 weeks pregnant. I went to school, I was feeling great. Before I knew it, I woke up in Forbes.
The doctors alerted me that I went into cardiac arrest at school. Our school nurse performed CPR and used an AED to bring me back to life. They decided it was time to induce me and bring Dominic. December 15th he came into the world. That's when Dr. Thosani came in and said we're going to come up with a plan and then by December 18th I was being discharged thanks to Dr. Thosani. I was a new mom leaving the hospital with a brand new baby. I had him to worry about as well as myself, and Dr. Thosani really helped my family and I feel safe and secure.
Dr. Thosani had us buy an AED for our house, so this is my own personal device.
I keep messing this up. This is real. It’s as real as it gets.
Tom Grealish: Putting this money with Dr. Thosani and his team and AHN is going to help with the recruitment and retention right here in Pittsburgh. They make giving easy.
Caitlin Phalunas: I wouldn't have come to AGH without it. It really has made it a better place for patients. And for my life. You're going to make me cry.
Michael: I had always been a high-energy person and all of a sudden, even my grandchildren pointed out, gee buddy, why are you just sitting in a chair? You never sit in a chair. I feel lucky because I've gotten to meet this team at the Cardiovascular Institute.
Jimmie: They always say, hey Jimmie, how's it going, how’s Jada, how's this, how's that — it’s more like a family.
Dr. Amit Thosani: The way we care for each other in addition to our patients, the way that we are not satisfied with stagnation — we always want to be better than we were yesterday, delivering the type of care that you’d want for your family members. There's nothing more important to me than that.
Other Highlights
- AHN study explores treating opioid addiction with electrode implants in brain
- AHN cuts ribbon for new sports medicine and performance pavilion at Erie Sports Center
- AHN Jefferson Hospital celebrates 10th anniversary of labor and delivery program
- AHN Autoimmunity Institute launches novel research initiative aimed at paving way for new treatments, cures
In 2024, AHN welcomed 183 new residents and fellows to its graduate medical education training programs, part of the network's long-standing commitment to training the next generation of physicians in their chosen specialties. The new trainees come from 31 U.S. states and 23 countries.
AHN recorded nearly 4 million physician visits in 2024 — its highest number since the network was created in 2013.
At its monthly, no-cost public cancer screenings, AHN evaluated about 900 patients in 2024, performing about 2,200 screening tests for head, neck, skin, pelvic, lung, breast, and other types of cancers. About 22% of the screens produced abnormal results, leading to follow-up care for the patients.
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In Their Own Words: AHN Patient Stories
"I've had back pain for probably a good 20 years. This has made a world of difference for me. I can walk farther, I can stand longer, I can play with my grandkids now. It’s changed my life for the better."
"From your first appointment until you deliver, it is like being with a second family. It's like dealing with family members or friends throughout the entire process. You start off as strangers, but by the end you are so comfortable and so relieved that they are the ones taking your brand-new baby's life into their hands."
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