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


                                  SCHEDULE 13D
                   UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
                                Amendment No. 3



                         Genesis Health Ventures, Inc.
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                                (Name of Issuer)



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



                                   37183F-10-7
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                                 (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)


                                  June 10, 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 6 PAGES
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 1.  NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
     I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY)

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

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 4.  SOURCE OF FUNDS (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)

          00
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 5.  CHECK IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO        [X]
     ITEMS 2(d) OR 2(e)
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 6.  CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
          NEW YORK
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                           7.  SOLE VOTING POWER
  NUMBER OF                         0
    SHARES                 -----------------------------------------------------
BENEFICIALLY               8.  SHARED VOTING POWER
  OWNED BY                          4,379,266
    EACH                   -----------------------------------------------------
 REPORTING                 9.  SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
   PERSON                           0
    WITH                   -----------------------------------------------------
                           10. SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
                                    4,379,266
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11.  AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

          4,379,266
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12.  CHECK IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES      [  ]
     (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
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13.  PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)

          11.0%
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14.  TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)

          BD-PN-IA
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                                  SCHEDULE 13D

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CUSIP NO. 37183F-10-7                                      PAGE 3 OF 6 PAGES
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 1.  NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
     I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY)

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

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

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

          Delaware
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                           7.  SOLE VOTING POWER
  NUMBER OF                         27,500
    SHARES                 -----------------------------------------------------
BENEFICIALLY               8.  SHARED VOTING POWER
  OWNED BY                          4,379,266
    EACH                   -----------------------------------------------------
 REPORTING                 9.  SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
   PERSON                           27,500
    WITH                   -----------------------------------------------------
                           10. SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
                                    4,379,266
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11.  AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

          4,406,766
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12.  CHECK IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES      [  ]
     (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
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13.  PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)

          11.1%
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14.  TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON

          HC-CO
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CUSIP NO. 37183F-10-7                                      PAGE 4 OF 6 PAGES
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                               AMENDMENT NO. 3 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 as most recently  amended by
Amendment No. 2 thereto filed May 8, 2003 (as amended, the "Schedule 13D"), 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. 3 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 a sale of Common Stock by
Goldman Sachs and 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 6 PAGES
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Item 5 is hereby amended as follows:

ITEM 5.  INTEREST IN SECURITIES OF THE ISSUER

     (a) As of June 10, 2003, Goldman Sachs may be deemed to beneficially own an
aggregate of  4,379,266  shares of Common  Stock,  consisting  of (i)  4,026,099
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  11.0% of the  outstanding
shares  of  Common  Stock  reported  to be  outstanding  as of May 9,  2003,  as
disclosed in Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March
31, 2003 (the "10-Q") and in accordance with Rule 13d-3(d)(1).

     As of June  10,  2003,  GS  Group  may be  deemed  to  beneficially  own an
aggregate of  4,406,766  shares of Common  Stock,  consisting  of (i)  4,379,266
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 11.1% 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.

         In accordance  with the Securities and Exchange Commission  (the "SEC")
Release No.  34-39538  (January 12, 1998),  this filing  reflects the securities
beneficially  owned by the investment  banking  division  ("IBD") of The Goldman
Sachs Group,  Inc. and its  subsidiaries and affiliates  (collectively,  "GSG").
This filing does not reflect securities, if any, beneficially owned by any other
operating  unit of GSG. IBD  disclaims  beneficial  ownership of the  securities
beneficially  owned by (i) any client  accounts with respect to which IBD or its
employees  have  voting  or  investment  discretion,  or both and  (ii)  certain
investment  entities,  of which IBD is the  general  partner,  managing  general
partner or other manager,  to the extent  interests in such entities are held by
persons other than IBD.

     (c) On June 10,  2003,  the  Company  and  Goldman  Sachs  reached  an oral
agreement  pursuant to which the Company  agreed to purchase  300,000  shares of
Common  Stock from  Goldman  Sachs at a price of $17.25  per share.  The sale is
expected to be  consummated  on June 13, 2003.  Additionally,  on June 10, 2003,
Goldman  Sachs sold  395,807  shares of Common  Stock at $16.95 per share on The
Nasdaq National Market.

     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 June 10, 2003,  the Company and Goldman Sachs reached an oral  agreement
pursuant to which the Company agreed to purchase  300,000 shares of Common Stock
from  Goldman  Sachs at a price of $17.25 per share.  The sale is expected to be
consummated on June 13, 2003.



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


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


Dated: June 12, 2003


THE GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP, INC.


By: /s/ Edward T. Joel
    ---------------------
Name:  Edward T. Joel
Title: Attorney-in-fact


GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.


By: /s/ Edward T. Joel
    ---------------------
Name:  Edward T. Joel
Title: Attorney-in-fact