SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — Frontline workers at Regional Hospital of Scranton are speaking out, urging the state to act as uncertainty continues around the hospital’s future. After a deadline for a potential ownership deal passed, employees sent an urgent letter to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, warning delays could threaten care and jobs across Northeast Pennsylvania.
Nurses and healthcare workers say they’re still showing up every day, despite mounting stress and unanswered questions about what comes next. They’re asking the Department of Health to move quickly to secure new ownership and protect essential services at Regional and the Moses Taylor Campus.
“We are committed. It has been extremely stressful, it’s in the back of your mind, but we provide quality care every single day, critical every single day. So, we have to come to work, push that out of our heads and give our patients all of us. And that’s what we’re doing, and we’re going to continue to do that,” said Corinne Cianfichi, occupational therapist and union chapter president.
The workers’ letter comes after January first, when they were told a deal could be finalized, came and went with no update.
“We as healthcare workers, our union, we are committed to doing everything in our power that we possibly can to keep this hospital. We are committed to saving and protecting our hospital. We want to be here. We want the hospital to be open. We want to provide quality care for our community, our family, our patients, and our friends,” said Cianfichi.
Healthcare workers say they’re hopeful a decision on new ownership will come soon and until then, they say they’ll continue caring for patients while fighting to keep the hospital open.