As your mayor, and as a fellow Scrantonian who cares deeply about the well-being of every family, I want to speak directly and honestly about something that matters to all ofus: The future of Geisinger Community Medical Center, and why I support its proposed expansion.
You’ve probably heard by now that Geisinger is seeking to expand its hospital operations, including a major update to its emergency department. This proposed expansion will positively affect every one of us — our parents, our kids, our neighbors, and the medical professionals we rely on in our most vulnerable moments.
GCMC’s emergency department is at capacity. On most days, it’s packed. And it remains the only trauma center in Lackawanna County. When someone is critically injured, when a heart stops, when minutes matter, this is where we go.
And right now, that emergency department simply isn’t big enough to meet the growing needs of our community.
I’ve spent time with the doctors, nurses, and staff who work there. They are extraordinary. They take on some of the toughest days of people’s lives with skill, compassion and unbelievable stamina. But as dedicated as they are, they can only do so much in a space that hasn’t kept pace with demand.
And the need is only going to get more immense. Hospitals throughout Pennsylvania — and across the country — are now preparing for even more uncertainty as profit continues to matter more than patient care for far too many health care providers, and as massive federal Medicaid cuts loom.
Our emergency departments will be the first to suffer the strain because they are the front door for so many patients who rely on Medicaid. Cuts like these don’t just affecthospital budgets; they ripple through entire health systems, making it harder for doctors, nurses, and medical teams to keep up with demand. These cuts will affect every singleone of us, including those with private health insurance.
Communities like ours can end up facing reduced services, longer wait times, or even the risk of closure when hospitals are pushed to the brink. We don’t have to look far forproof. Commonwealth Health’s Regional and Moses Taylor hospitals have been fighting to keep their doors open for years. And through all of it, the incredible nurses, doctors and frontline staff at both hospitals have continued to show up for our community with professionalism and heart. We owe them our gratitude.
The proposed acquisition of these legacy hospitals by the Tenor Health Foundation leaves me cautiously optimistic, but it also reminds us that we need to stay vigilant. Ourgoal has always been clear: keep Regional and Moses Taylor open, and keep their skilled, dedicated staff working here in Scranton.
Local, regional and state officials and community foundation leaders all came together to help keep Moses Taylor and Regional open. That same spirit of collaboration isexactly what we need now to support Geisinger CMC, especially as our hospitals navigate the devastating cuts coming out of Washington.
That’s why I’m asking everyone — residents, neighborhood groups, and Scranton City Council — to support Geisinger’s plan to expand. This project means more beds, updatedequipment, reduced wait times, expanded critical services, including a new NICU, and the ability to treat people without emergency room overcrowding. It means giving our medical teams the modern environment they need and deserve to keep saving lives.
I know that with any change, questions come up about zoning and neighborhood impact. With the changes my administration has proposed, we can protect ourcommunity and support the health care institutions that protect our lives. These goals are not in conflict, and they are goals I have always supported as your mayor.
Let’s remember that emergencies don’t wait for a perfect moment. They arrive suddenly: a car accident, a slip on the ice, an unexpected illness. And when they do, weall want to know that the help we need is ready, not stretched thin, and right here in the city, not miles away down the interstate.
This expansion isn’t about hospital buildings. It’s about people. It’s about us. It’s about making sure that when someone in Scranton and the surrounding region needs high-quality emergency care, they receive it quickly, safely and close to home.
So today I’m asking you to join me in supporting Geisinger Community Medical Center’s plans. Let’s stand with the patients who count on this hospital and with the medicalprofessionals who give everything to keep us healthy.
Scranton has always been a city where we look out for one another. Supporting this expansion is one more way we can keep living up to that promise.