The PACN Podcast - Dr. James Galasso (Part 1)

In the first of a two-part conversation, Dr. John Pagan sits down with Dr. James Galasso of Galasso Family Practice in Schwyz, Pennsylvania — a physician who grew up in the very community he now serves, came up through emergency medicine as a paramedic, and chose to return home to build a 30-year independent family practice rather than join the large hospital systems that dominate his region. Dr. Galasso shares what drives his commitment to independent practice, what joining PACN has meant for his ability to stay viable, and why continuity of care is the defining advantage of the independent physician.

Key Highlights

A Hometown Doctor in Every Sense Dr. Galasso's path to medicine started early — his father was a Pfizer pharmaceutical rep and a volunteer for the local ambulance association, and Dr. Galasso followed suit, becoming an EMT and eventually a paramedic and president of that same association. Exposure to emergency physicians during his paramedic years sparked his interest in medicine. He initially planned to become an ER doctor, but took the advice of a seasoned emergency physician who told him to go into primary care and learn emergency medicine that way. He did — and came back to practice just three blocks from where he grew up.

Serving a Close-Knit Community Schwyz is a blue-collar town of roughly 2,500 people with a high Medicare population and multigenerational families. Dr. Galasso's practice spans the full range — from newborns to geriatrics — and his wife, a physician assistant, practices alongside him. He previously attended deliveries, made hospital rounds, and visited nursing homes. The community is close-knit, and so is his relationship with it.

Why He Joined PACN Operating in the shadow of two large regional systems — Geisinger and Commonwealth Health (a Tennessee-based corporation) — Dr. Galasso found that independent physicians weren't truly supported by hospital-affiliated networks. When Keith Taylor, PACN's Senior Director of Business Development, approached him about the network, he signed on. He calls it one of the best decisions he's made in private practice. The tangible benefits came quickly: group malpractice insurance at lower rates, reduced supply costs, and behind-the-scenes infrastructure support from the network that costs him nothing and helps him stay viable as an independent physician.

The Value of Continuity After 30 years in practice, the majority of Dr. Galasso's patients have been with him for 25 years or more.