Penn State Health delivers coordinated care for Lancaster family

HERSHEY, Pa. When Amanda Geiss gave birth to her son, Bryson, in 2024, she expected to bring him home from Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center within a few days, she said.

Instead, shortly after birth, Bryson developed breathing problems and low blood sugar that required specialized treatment. He was transferred to Penn State Health Golisano Children’s Hospital in Hershey for care in the Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

For Amanda and her husband, Dustin, it was a scary and unexpected turn of events. But they said they felt reassured knowing their newborn son was in good hands and getting the expert care he needed.

An unexpected transfer

Because Amanda had just undergone a cesarean section, she couldn’t travel with her newborn. But, she said, she and her husband, Dustin, placed their trust in the Life Lion Critical Care Transport team.

For Amanda, the team’s kindness and support made an emotional moment a little easier.

“There were quite a few people involved with moving him to the Children’s Hospital: a respiratory therapist, nurse and emergency medical technicians. Everyone was great,” Amanda explained. “I felt very comfortable having him leave based on the support they provided when they picked him up and the time they gave us with Bryson before they left.”

At the same time, it wasn’t what Amanda had pictured for those first days as a new mother.

“It definitely wasn’t what we had planned,” she said.

Confidence in connected care

Still, Amanda said she felt reassured knowing Bryson would be well cared for at another Penn State Health hospital. She was familiar with the health system and trusted the care he would receive.

“Although I would’ve preferred to go with him, it wasn’t something I had any control over,” she said. “It was nice that he could transfer within the network. Since I already knew Penn State Health, I felt confident he was in good hands.”

That confidence grew as Bryson responded to treatment in the region’s highest-level NICU. After just two days, he improved enough to go home with his parents.

“Our experience in the NICU was great. Thankfully, he didn’t have to stay very long,” she said. “He was the biggest baby in the NICU and probably doing the best out of all the babies there.”

A surprise reunion

Almost two years later, the family had an unexpected reunion with someone who had cared for Bryson during those first days of life.

At a spring open house at Penn State Health Children’s Lancaster Pediatric Center, where Bryson receives general pediatric care, Amanda and her family ran into Heather Heisley, the Life Lion nurse who traveled with Bryson when he was transported to Hershey as a newborn. Heisley was thrilled to see Bryson healthy and doing well, Amanda said. She also was excited to learn that Amanda was expecting another baby.

Amanda welcomed her daughter in June, and this time the delivery and newborn experience went smoothly.

“Everything with her went really well and as hoped,” she said. “I was thankful for that.”

NICU care, closer to home

She said she's also grateful that Lancaster Medical Center will open a Level II NICU in October. The new NICU will provide specialized care to newborns who need additional support while allowing more families to keep their babies closer to home.

For families like the Geisses, that means more options when their newborn needs extra care — and peace of mind knowing that if their baby needs specialized treatment, Penn State Health teams work together to provide coordinated care.