U.S. Senator Dave McCormick Visits Guthrie to Highlight New Standard for Rural Health Care Delivery

Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital welcomed U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick on Friday for a demonstration of the Guthrie Pulse Center — an innovative hybrid care model that is transforming how rural hospitals deliver safe, efficient and technology-enabled health care across Pennsylvania and New York. 

In response to workforce shortages and the unique demands of rural care, the Guthrie Pulse Center uses an AI-enabled remote care model that integrates virtual nurses, physicians and care coordinators with bedside teams. This hybrid model has already reduced patient falls with major injury by 87% while enhancing safety, expanding access to expert support and strengthening care delivery across the communities Guthrie serves.  

“Rural Pennsylvanians deserve access to high-quality care close to home, but too many communities are facing real challenges as hospitals struggle to keep up with growing needs,” Sen. McCormick said. “Guthrie’s Pulse Center is exactly the kind of innovative approach that can strengthen rural health care by supporting patients and caregivers in new ways. I was proud to include Pulse Center expansion funding in my FY26 appropriations requests to support models of care that keep high-quality services accessible for rural communities.” 

Senator McCormick was joined by Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity, Governor’s Office Northeast Regional Director Drew Popish, State Representative Tina Pickett, Senator Gene Yaw’s Chief of Staff Nick Troutman, and Bradford County Commissioners Zach Gates and Doug McClinko. Throughout the visit, leaders saw how virtual nursing, AI-enabled monitoring and real-time specialist support are integrated with bedside care to strengthen patient outcomes.  

“The Guthrie Pulse Center is transforming how we deliver care by enhancing safety, supporting caregivers and expanding access to clinical expertise,” said Dr. Edmund Sabanegh, President and CEO of The Guthrie Clinic. “As we grow this model to serve more patients and strengthen our teams, we value leaders like Sen. McCormick who support innovation and the rural communities we serve.” 

Since launching in 2023, the Guthrie Pulse Center has enabled millions of dollars in cost savings while cutting time in the emergency department by more than two hours for admitted patients. It has earned national recognition — including the ECRI Health Technology Excellence Award and Modern Healthcare’s Top Innovators designation — as a leading example of how technology-enabled care can improve quality and expand access to rural communities.