Gavin Swartzlander and WellSpan Evangelical Community Hospital are celebrating a big milestone together – a first birthday and a one-year anniversary.   

Gavin was born in July 2024, at WellSpan Evangelical Community Hospital in Lewisburg, the same month the hospital affiliated with the WellSpan Health system. 

While Gavin has spent the year learning how to crawl, play and laugh, WellSpan has been working to expand clinical services in the area, including hemodialysis, urology and new surgical options with the da Vinci surgical robot.  

Gavin’s mom, Autumn, is a nurse in the maternity unit, called The Family Place, at WellSpan Evangelical Community Hospital.  

“We are excited about the progress of things,” says Autumn, referring to the past year since the affiliation.  

The friendly, approachable atmosphere at WellSpan Evangelical Hospital is like home to Autumn. She says that is one thing that will not change.    

“New things are coming but we are still enveloping patients with family care,” Autumn says. “The care we give is driven by wanting to help people.” 

One of 100 years and a strong future ahead 

WellSpan Evangelical Community Hospital has deep roots in its community, caring for patients in almost 100 years. It grew out of the Evangelical Home, which offered a home for the aged and an orphanage on what was known as the Slifer Farm. When the home’s infirmary started accepting patients from the community in 1926, patients arrived in streams. In 1953, a new hospital opened at the present site. In 2021, the hospital added a new four-story addition, allowing it to offer private rooms to all patients. 

Moving forward, WellSpan Evangelical Community Hospital will continue to deliver high-quality, compassionate care to the community.   

Autumn says she is ready for the future.  Her connections to the hospital, the community and to her job run deep.   

“I plan on retiring from here,” she says. “You feel like you’re family when you walk through the halls, and you know everybody.”