Penn State Health hires former Tower Health VP to help lead Lancaster Medical Center 

Reading-based Tower Health’s former vice president for nursing operations joins Penn State Health as the new chief nursing officer for the Hershey-based health system’s upcoming Lancaster Medical Center on Jan. 17. 

Penn State Health announced on Tuesday that Barbara Zuppa will be heading the nursing practice and administrative, operational and financial functions of nursing and clinical areas for the Lancaster Medical Center, opening at 2160 State Road later this year.  

“We are excited that Barbara will be joining our executive team,” said Joe Frank, regional president, Penn State Health. “She is an experienced nurse executive with a passion for excellence and a strong record of improving clinical quality and enhancing patient experience. We are confident she will provide valuable leadership to our nursing teams at the new hospital that we are building to give residents of Lancaster County and surrounding communities easier access to Penn State Health’s brand of care.” 

As vice president for nursing operations at Tower Health, Zuppa provided vision and strategic direction for nursing services.  

During her tenure at the system, Zuppa partnered with the United Way of Berks County and the Reading School District to establish an adopt-a-class program that annually provides school supplies for more than 120 teachers and classes and supplies for school nurses to address student health needs. She partnered with Healthy Harvest regional fresh food bank to implement a “pound per person” challenge that provides more than 8,000 pounds of food donations annually.  

Zuppa also co-founded the Berks Regional Nursing Research Alliance, a community-based consortium with representation from hospital, academic, professional organizational and community nursing entities. 

Lancaster Medical Center is set to open with 129 beds upon opening in East Hempfield Township in late 2022 and will employ nearly 900 health care workers when fully operational. The center will feature an emergency department, specialty medical and surgical services, an imaging lab, labor and delivery and an attached medical office building for physician practices and outpatient services.