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Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

Terry Kreiser and Steve Furmanski manage the 552-acre landscape at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, where they focus on tree care, sustainability, and wellness. Recent efforts include planting 2,400 trees to restore forested areas, creating trails, and engaging the community in tree-planting projects.

Overhead view of Penn State Health campus buildings in autumn, featuring fall foliage and clear blue sky.

Topic

Tree Campus Healthcare

Location

Hershey, PA

Tree Champions

Terry Kreiser and Steve Furmanski

About the tree champions

Terry Kreiser, Facilities Operations Director, and Steve Furmanski, Grounds Manager, are close partners in the management of the 552-acre landscape that surrounds Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

Steve’s dedication to his work extends to his role as a director-at-large of the Philadelphia branch of the Professional Grounds Management Society.

How they invest in trees

How They Invest in Trees

On campus, the facility conducts an annual inventory and assessment of campus trees. Any trees removed for health or construction reasons are replaced by at least one new tree. A recent project centered around Arbor Day focused on bringing forested areas of campus back to a healthier condition, planting 2400 new trees to expand the forested areas and involved the expert guidance of an arborist from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and a certified forester.

Expanding to the community, walking and mountain biking trails traverse the medical center’s forested campus and connect to the community trail system — creating vital access for community residents to enjoy the health benefits that campus trees provide. In addition, volunteers from the community and Penn State students were invited to take part in the Arbor Day tree planting project.

Why They Invest in Trees

“We have been methodically working to incorporate landscape into physical health and wellbeing in the last couple of years, and it’s continuing to grow,” said Terry. “We are creating an environment where people can enjoy the outdoors, exercise and have a position impact on their physical and mental health. ” The forested campus is a therapeutic landscape in which patients, families, staff, and the community come together to do just that.

Aerial view of Penn State Hershey Medical Center

Why Tree Campus Healthcare Is Important

Penn State Hershey Medical Center has received past recognition for their sustainability and landscape efforts through accreditations such as those awarded by the Professional Grounds Management Society. “We use these avenues to get the word out to our community,” said Terry. “In addition, we have medical students, faculty, staff – it touches a large footprint.” Tree Campus Healthcare offers a new avenue for recognition of the unique role trees play within the campus and community and the leadership of the medical center in planting, nurturing, and celebrating trees.

We are creating an environment where people can enjoy the outdoors, exercise and have a positive impact on their physical and mental health.

Terry Kreiser

Facilities Operations Director