UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549


                                  SCHEDULE 13D
                   UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
                                Amendment No. 1



                         Genesis Health Ventures, Inc.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                (Name of Issuer)



                     Common Stock, Par Value $0.02 Per Share
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         (Title of Class of Securities)



                                   37183F-10-7
                 -----------------------------------------------
                                 (CUSIP Number)

                               Steve Chaiken, Esq.
                              Goldman, Sachs & Co.
                                85 Broad Street
                            New York, New York 10004
                                 (212) 902-1000

 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            (Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person Authorized
                     to Receive Notices and Communications)


                                March 25, 2003
                 -----------------------------------------------

            (Date of Event which Requires Filing of this Statement)

     If the filing  person has  previously  filed a statement on Schedule 13G to
report the  acquisition  that is the subject of this Schedule 13D, and is filing
this schedule  because of ss.ss.  240.13d-1(e),  240.13d-1(f)  or  240.13d-1(g),
check the following box |_|.

     Note:  Schedules  filed in paper format shall include a signed original and
five copies of the schedule, including all exhibits. See ss. 240.13d-7 for other
parties to whom copies are to be sent.

     *The  remainder  of this cover  page  shall be filled  out for a  reporting
person's  initial  filing on this  form with  respect  to the  subject  class of
securities,  and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would
alter disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

     The  information  required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be
deemed to be "filed"  for the purpose of Section 18 of the  Securities  Exchange
Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise  subject to the  liabilities of that section of
the Act but shall be subject to all other  provisions of the Act  (however,  see
the Notes).
 

                                  SCHEDULE 13D

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CUSIP NO. 37183F-10-7                                      PAGE 2 OF 11 PAGES
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1.  NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
     I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY)

          Goldman, Sachs & Co.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 2.  CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP          (a)  [  ]
     (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)                                        (b)  [  ]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 3.  SEC USE ONLY

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 4.  SOURCE OF FUNDS (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)

          00
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 5.  CHECK IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO        [X]
     ITEMS 2(d) OR 2(e)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 6.  CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
          NEW YORK
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           7.  SOLE VOTING POWER
  NUMBER OF                         0
    SHARES                 -----------------------------------------------------
BENEFICIALLY               8.  SHARED VOTING POWER
  OWNED BY                          5,573,780
    EACH                   -----------------------------------------------------
 REPORTING                 9.  SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
   PERSON                           0
    WITH                   -----------------------------------------------------
                           10. SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
                                    5,573,780
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11.  AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

          5,573,780
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12.  CHECK IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES      [  ]
     (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13.  PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)

          13.4%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14.  TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)

          BD-PN-IA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                                  SCHEDULE 13D

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CUSIP NO. 37183F-10-7                                      PAGE 3 OF 11 PAGES
---------------------                                      ---------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1.  NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
     I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY)

          The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 2.  CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP          (a)  [  ]
     (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)                                        (b)  [  ]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 3.  SEC USE ONLY

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 4.  SOURCE OF FUNDS (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)

          AF;00
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 5.  CHECK IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO       [  ]
     ITEMS 2(d) OR 2(e)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 6.  CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

          Delaware
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           7.  SOLE VOTING POWER
  NUMBER OF                         27,500
    SHARES                 -----------------------------------------------------
BENEFICIALLY               8.  SHARED VOTING POWER
  OWNED BY                          5,573,780
    EACH                   -----------------------------------------------------
 REPORTING                 9.  SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
   PERSON                           27,500
    WITH                   -----------------------------------------------------
                           10. SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
                                    5,573,780
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11.  AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

          5,601,280
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12.  CHECK IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES      [  ]
     (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13.  PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)

          13.5%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14.  TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON

          HC-CO
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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CUSIP NO. 37183F-10-7                                      PAGE 4 OF 11 PAGES
---------------------                                      ---------------------



                               AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO
                                  SCHEDULE 13D
                         RELATING TO THE COMMON STOCK OF
                          GENESIS HEALTH VENTURES, INC.


     The  Goldman  Sachs  Group,  Inc.  ("GS  Group") and  Goldman,  Sachs & Co.
("Goldman  Sachs" and together with GS Group, the "Filing  Persons")/(1)  hereby
amend and supplement the statement on Schedule 13D (the "Schedule  13D"),  filed
on October 22, 2001, with respect to the Common Stock, $0.02 par value per share
(the  "Common  Stock"),  of  Genesis  Health  Ventures,   Inc.,  a  Pennsylvania
corporation (the "Company").  Unless otherwise indicated,  all capitalized terms
used but not defined herein shall have the same meaning  ascribed to them in the
Schedule 13D.

     This  Amendment No. 1 is being filed to report a decrease in the percentage
of the outstanding  Common Stock which may be deemed to be beneficially owned by
the Filing  Persons,  which change was as a result of an  agreement  between the
Company and Goldman Sachs regarding the sale of Common Stock by Goldman Sachs to
the Company.

------------------
     /1/ Neither the  present  filing nor  anything  contained  herein  shall be
construed as an admission that any Filing Person  constitutes a "person" for any
purposes  other than Section 13(d) of the  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934 (the
"Exchange Act").


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CUSIP NO. 37183F-10-7                                      PAGE 5 OF 11 PAGES
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Item 2 is hereby amended and restated as follows:

ITEM 2.  IDENTITY AND BACKGROUND

     Goldman Sachs,  a New York limited  partnership,  is an investment  banking
firm and a member  of the New York  Stock  Exchange,  Inc.  and  other  national
exchanges and is a direct and indirect  wholly-owned  subsidiary of GS Group. GS
Group is a  Delaware  corporation  and a  holding  company  that  (directly  and
indirectly  through  subsidiaries or affiliated  companies or both) is a leading
investment banking  organization.  The principal business address of each of the
Filing Persons is 85 Broad Street, New York, New York.

     The name,  residence or business address,  present principal  occupation or
employment,  and the citizenship of each director of GS Group is set forth in an
amended Schedule I hereto and is incorporated herein by reference.

     During  the last  five  years,  none of the  Filing  Persons,  nor,  to the
knowledge of each of the Filing Persons, any of the persons listed in Schedule I
hereto,  (i) has been convicted in any criminal  proceeding  (excluding  traffic
violations  or similar  misdemeanors)  or (ii) except as set forth in an amended
Schedule  II hereto,  has been a party to a civil  proceeding  of a judicial  or
administrative body of competent jurisdiction and as a result of such proceeding
was or is  subject  to a  judgment,  decree  or  final  order  enjoining  future
violations  of, or prohibiting  or mandating  activities  subject to, federal or
state securities laws or finding any violation with respect to such laws.

     The Filing  Persons  entered  into a Joint  Filing  Agreement,  dated as of
October 22, 2001, a copy of which is attached as an exhibit to the Schedule 13D.


Item 5 is hereby amended as follows:

ITEM 5.  INTEREST IN SECURITIES OF THE ISSUER

     (a) As of March 25, 2003,  Goldman Sachs may be deemed to beneficially  own
an aggregate of 5,573,780  shares of Common  Stock,  consisting of (i) 5,220,613
shares of Common Stock beneficially and directly owned by Goldman Sachs and (ii)
353,167 shares of Common Stock underlying 71,799 shares of Convertible Preferred
Stock  immediately  convertible and  beneficially  and directly owned by Goldman
Sachs,  representing  in the aggregate  approximately  13.4% of the  outstanding
shares of Common Stock  reported to be  outstanding  as of February 27, 2003, as
disclosed  in  Company's  quarterly  report on Form 10-Q for the  quarter  ended
December 31, 2002 (the "10-Q") and in accordance with Rule 13d-3(d)(1).

     As of March  25,  2003,  GS Group  may be  deemed  to  beneficially  own an
aggregate of  5,601,280  shares of Common  Stock,  consisting  of (i)  5,573,780
shares of Common Stock  beneficially  owned by GS Group through Goldman Sachs as
described above,  and (iv) 27,500 shares of Common Stock underlying  immediately
exercisable  Options,  representing in the aggregate  approximately 13.5% of the
outstanding  shares of Common Stock as  disclosed in the 10-Q and in  accordance
with Rule  13d-3(d)(1).  The Options were granted under the Company's 2001 Stock
Option Plan to Joseph A. Lanasa III, a Managing  Director of Goldman Sachs,  who
is a  member  of the  board of  directors  of the  Company.  Mr.  Lanasa  has an
understanding  with GS Group  pursuant  to which he holds  the  options  for the
benefit of GS Group.

     (b) Each Filing  Person  shares the power to vote or direct the vote and to
dispose or to direct the disposition of the Common Stock  beneficially  owned by
such Filing Person as indicated above,  except that GS Group has sole voting and
dispositive  power with regard to the 27,500  shares of Common Stock  underlying
the Options.


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CUSIP NO. 37183F-10-7                                      PAGE 6 OF 11 PAGES
---------------------                                      ---------------------

     (c) On March 25,  2003,  the  Company  and  Goldman  Sachs  reached an oral
agreement  pursuant to which the Company agreed to purchase  1,000,000 shares of
Common  Stock from  Goldman  Sachs at a price of $15.00  per share.  The sale is
expected to be consummated on March 28, 2003.

     Except as described in this Schedule 13D, no  transactions in the shares of
Common Stock were effected by the Filing Persons, or to their knowledge,  any of
the persons listed on Schedule I hereto, during the past sixty days.


Item 6 is hereby amended as follows:

ITEM 6.  CONTRACTS, ARRANGEMENTS, UNDERSTANDINGS OR RELATIONSHIPS
         WITH RESPECT TO SECURITIES OF THE ISSUER

     On March 25, 2003,  the Company and Goldman Sachs reached an oral agreement
pursuant to which the  Company  agreed to  purchase  1,000,000  shares of Common
Stock from Goldman Sachs at a price of $15.00 per share. The sale is expected to
be consummated on March 28, 2003.


Item 7 is hereby amended as follows:

ITEM 7.  MATERIAL TO BE FILED AS EXHIBITS

Exhibit No.     Exhibit

99.10           Power of Attorney, dated January 6, 2003, relating to
                Goldman, Sachs & Co.

99.11           Power of Attorney, dated January 6, 2003, relating to
                The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.


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CUSIP NO. 37183F-10-7                                      PAGE 7 OF 11 PAGES
---------------------                                      ---------------------


                                    SIGNATURE

         After reasonable inquiry and to the best of our knowledge and belief,
we certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete
and correct.

Dated: March 27, 2003


THE GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP, INC.


By: /s/ Roger S. Begelman
    ---------------------
Name:  Roger S. Begelman
Title: Attorney-in-fact


GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.


By: /s/ Roger S. Begelman
    ---------------------
Name:  Roger S. Begelman
Title: Attorney-in-fact


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CUSIP NO. 37183F-10-7                                      PAGE 8 OF 11 PAGES
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                                   SCHEDULE I
                                   ----------



     The name of each  director of The Goldman  Sachs  Group,  Inc. is set forth
below.

     The business  address of each person  listed below is  c/o Goldman, Sachs &
Co., 85 Broad Street, New York, NY  10004.

     Each  person is a citizen of the United  States of America  except for Lord
Browne of  Madingley,  who is a  citizen  of the  United  Kingdom.  The  present
principal  occupation or  employment of each of the listed  persons is set forth
below.


Name                                Present Principal Occupation
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Henry M. Paulson, Jr.               Chairman  and  Chief  Executive  Officer  of
                                    The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

Robert J. Hurst                     Director of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

John A. Thain                       President and  Co-Chief Operating Officer of
                                    The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

John L. Thornton                    President and  Co-Chief Operating Officer of
                                    The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

Lord Browne of Madingley            Group Chief Executive of BP plc


John H. Bryan                       Retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
                                    of Sara Lee Corporation

William W. George                   Retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
                                    of Medtronic, Inc.

James A. Johnson                    Vice Chairman of Perseus, L.L.C.


Ruth J. Simmons                     President of Brown University


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CUSIP NO. 37183F-10-7                                      PAGE 9 OF 11 PAGES
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                                   SCHEDULE II
                                   -----------



     On April 6, 2000, in connection with an industry-wide  investigation by the
Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  (the  "SEC")  relating  to the pricing of
government securities in advance refunding  transactions,  Goldman,  Sachs & Co.
("Goldman Sachs") joined in a global settlement  resolving the SEC investigation
as well as a related qui tam lawsuit purportedly brought on behalf of the United
States entitled United States ex rel.  Lissack v. Goldman,  Sachs & Co., et al.,
95 Civ. 1363 (S.D.N.Y.)(BSJ).  Pursuant to the settlement,  without admitting or
denying  the  findings,  Goldman  Sachs  consented  to  the  issuance  of an SEC
administrative  order (SEA Rel. No. 42640) which, among other things, found that
Goldman Sachs had violated  Sections  17(a)(2) and (3) of the  Securities Act of
1933 in connection with such pricing of government securities,  required Goldman
Sachs to cease and desist from violating such  provisions,  and ordered  Goldman
Sachs to make payments totaling  approximately $5.1 Million to the U.S. Treasury
and $104,000 to two  municipalities.  Under the global  settlement,  the qui tam
lawsuit was dismissed with  prejudice,  and the Internal  Revenue Service agreed
not to challenge the tax-free  nature of the refundings by virtue of the pricing
of such securities.

     In November 2002, the SEC, the National  Association of Securities  Dealers
("NASD") and the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. ("NYSE") alleged that five broker
dealers, including Goldman Sachs, violated Section 17(a) of the Exchange Act and
Rule  17a-4  hereunder,  NYSE  Rules 440 and 342 and NASD Rules 3010 and 3110 by
allegedly  failing to preserve  electronic mail  communications  for three years
and/or to preserve  electronic mail communications for the first two years in an
accessible  place, and by allegedly having  inadequate  supervisory  systems and
procedures  in relation to the  retention  of  electronic  mail  communications.
Without admitting or denying the allegations, the five broker dealers, including
Goldman  Sachs,  consented  to  censure  by the  SEC,  NASD  and NYSE and to the
imposition of a cease-and-desist order by the SEC and Goldman Sachs paid a total
fine of $1,650,000 ($550,000 each to the SEC, NASD and NYSE). Goldman Sachs also
undertook to review its procedures regarding the preservation of electronic mail
communications  for compliance with the federal  securities laws and regulations
and the rules of the NASD and NYSE, and to confirm within a specified  period of
time that it has  established  systems  and  procedures  reasonably  designed to
achieve compliance with those laws, regulations and rules.



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CUSIP NO. 37183F-10-7                                      PAGE 10 OF 11 PAGES
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                                                                 EXHIBIT (99.10)



                              POWER OF ATTORNEY


     KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS that GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.(the "Company")
does hereby make,  constitute and appoint each of Roger S.  Begelman,  Edward T.
Joel, Saskia Brookfield Martin and Susan Goddard, (and any other employee of The
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. or one of its affiliates  designated in writing by one
of the attorneys-in-fact), acting individually, its true and lawful attorney, to
execute and deliver in its name and on its behalf  whether the Company is acting
individually or as representative of others,  any and all filings required to be
made by the Company under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, (as amended,  the
"Act"),  with respect to securities which may be deemed to be beneficially owned
by  the   Company   under  the  Act,   giving  and   granting   unto  each  said
attorney-in-fact  power and authority to act in the premises as fully and to all
intents and purposes as the Company might or could do if  personally  present by
one of its authorized signatories, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorney-in-fact shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

    THIS POWER OF ATTORNEY  shall remain in full force and effect  until either
revoked  in  writing  by the  undersigned  or until  such time as the  person or
persons to whom power of  attorney  has been  hereby  granted  cease(s) to be an
employee of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. or one of its affiliates.

    IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  the undersigned has duly  subscribed these presents as
of January 6th, 2003.




GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.


By: s/ Gregory  K. Palm
----------------------------
Name:  Gregory K. Palm
Title: Managing Director


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CUSIP NO. 37183F-10-7                                      PAGE 11 OF 11 PAGES
---------------------                                      ---------------------


                                                                 EXHIBIT (99.11)



                                POWER OF ATTORNEY



     KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS that THE GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP, INC.  (the
"Company")  does hereby make,  constitute and appoint each of Roger S. Begelman,
Edward T.  Joel,  Saskia  Brookfield  Martin and Susan  Goddard,  (and any other
employee of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. or one of its affiliates designated in
writing  by one of the  attorneys-in-fact),  acting  individually,  its true and
lawful  attorney,  to execute and deliver in its name and on its behalf  whether
the Company is acting  individually or as representative of others,  any and all
filings required to be made by the Company under the Securities  Exchange Act of
1934, (as amended, the "Act"), with respect to securities which may be deemed to
be  beneficially  owned by the Company  under the Act,  giving and granting unto
each said  attorney-in-fact  power and authority to act in the premises as fully
and to all intents and purposes as the Company  might or could do if  personally
present by one of its authorized  signatories,  hereby  ratifying and confirming
all that said  attorney-in-fact  shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue
hereof.

     THIS POWER OF ATTORNEY  shall remain in full force and effect  until either
revoked  in  writing  by the  undersigned  or until  such time as the  person or
persons to whom power of  attorney  has been  hereby  granted  cease(s) to be an
employee of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. or one of its affiliates.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  the undersigned has duly  subscribed these presents as
of January 6th, 2003.



THE GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP, INC.


By: s/ Gregory  K. Palm
----------------------------
Name:  Gregory K. Palm
Title: Executive Vice President and General Counsel