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Geisinger's main campus in Danville, Pa. (Geisinger Health System )
SCRANTON - Commonwealth Medical College is now officially part of Geisinger Health System.
The integration, announced in September, took effect Sunday after the necessary regulatory approvals were received.
With the exception of the name and branding changes, it will be business as usual for students, faculty and staff, a news release states.
Now known as Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, it opened in 2008 in Scranton and has campuses in Sayre, Wilkes-Barre and Williamsport.
It offers doctor of medicine and master of biomedical sciences degrees. The news release hints at the possibility of creating more masters' degree programs in areas like genomics and information technology.
The college has awarded more than 250 doctor degrees and 300 master's degrees since the first class in 2013.
Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine is one of three medical colleges in Pennsylvania outside Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. The other two are Penn State College of Medicine in Dauphin County and Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie.
"Joining together a world-class health system and health plan with a young, innovative school of medicine will make our region a hub for medical education, research and discovery," Dr. David T. Feinberg, Geisinger president and CEO, said in the release.
"Through this partnership, Geisinger Commonwealth will continue to realize the vision and mission of its original founders to provide high-quality healthcare to patients in the region for generations to come."
Dr. Steven J. Scheinman will continue to as the school of medicine's president and dean and becomes chief academic officer and executive vice president at Geisinger Health System.
The many relationships with community partners will be maintained, Scheinman and Feinberg said.
The physician-led Geisinger Health System is comprised of approximately 30,000 employees, including nearly 1,600 employed physicians, 12 hospital campuses, two research centers and a 551,000-member health plan.
It has absorbed the college's 185 staff members.