Harry K Ballantyne Jr. JR., PA-C

Why I chose to pursue a career in healthcare:My passion for medicine began when I was a 17-year-old serving with a volunteer fire department/rescue squad in Maryland. During this time, I became an America Red Cross instructor and an Emergency Medical Technician. I then entered the U.S. Navy as a Corpsman and served for 23 years in a variety of medical positions on ships, isolated stations and with the U.S. Marines. It was easy to see myself continuing to practice medicine after my Naval service and this is why I choose to become a Physician Assistant.What I want my patients to know about me:It is a privilege for me to help patients with their medical issues. I am compassionate and thoughtful. Even though I am employed by a great organization, WellSpan Health, I know I work for patients (and their families) so my focus is on delivering appropriate and timely medical care while trying to address all of the issues associated with gastrointestinal illness.What I do when I'm not seeing …patients:Work-life balance is important. I spend as much time as I can with my family because I was away for weeks/months at a time while I served in the U.S. Navy.