The future of three area hospitals remains in limbo as a deal between Commonwealth Health Systems and Tenor Health Foundation awaits regulatory approval.<\/p>\n
Officials expected the sale of CHS-owned Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, Regional Hospital of Scranton and Moses Taylor Hospital in Scranton to be finalized by the end of 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n A Dec. 31 letter obtained by WVIA sent on behalf of Michael B. Clark, the CEO of Wilkes-Barre General Hospital and David E. Loving, the Interim CEO of Regional Hospital of Scranton, said: \u201cThe ownership transition of Commonwealth Health will not be completed today as Tenor Health and the Pennsylvania Department of Health are still working to finalize the necessary approvals. The goal remains to complete the closing as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n Both health systems pointed to the Department of Health as the reason for the holdup.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Pennsylvania Department of Health has not yet concluded its work on the necessary approvals for the ownership transition of Commonwealth Health to Tenor Health, which is why the transaction has been delayed. We hope the reviews will be completed soon, but we don’t currently know how long this process will take,\u201d said CHS spokesperson Tomi Galin.<\/p>\n Tenor remains in conversation with CHS. <\/p>\n \u201cWe are committed to the closing of the transaction and stand ready to close once approval is obtained,\u201d said Tenor CEO Radha Savitala.<\/p>\n The state Department of Health is still reviewing Tenor’s application to purchase the hospitals. <\/p>\n “The Pennsylvania Department of Health is committed to ensuring patient safety and responsible hospital ownership throughout this process, and has received Tenor Health Foundation\u2019s application to acquire the hospitals currently owned by Commonwealth Health Systems in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre,” department spokesman Neil Ruhland said Thursday. “The Department continues to review the change-in-ownership (CHOW) application.”<\/p>\n Healthcare workers reach out to DOH about delayed deal\u00a0<\/p>\n Healthcare workers represented by the SEIU Healthcare PA union at Regional sent a letter to the state\u2019s Department of Health expressing their frustrations with the delayed deal.<\/p>\n The letter, in part, reads:<\/p>\n \u201cPreviously, there was a public announcement that a deal to keep our hospital open would be finalized by January 1. Since then, our workforce has had limited information regarding the status of the proposed ownership transition, which has created serious concerns among the broader community and frontline employees. While we recognize the Department\u2019s responsibility to ensure compliance, safety and regulatory integrity, we respectfully urge that those considerations be balanced with the urgent need for stability, transparency, and continuity of care.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs a union workforce, our priorities have been clear and consistent: protect access to healthcare for our region and preserve good union jobs for the workers who deliver that care regardless of ownership,\u201d the letter continues. \u201cOur nurses, technicians, aides, dietary and environmental services, pharmacists \u2013 every staff member at our hospital is deeply invested in our patients and our community. We stand ready to continue providing high-quality care and to work constructively with any owner committed to sustaining the very best care at our facilities.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe respectfully ask the Department to consider the human and community impact of this transition and to do everything in your power to preserve healthcare access, workforce stability, and the long-term viability of our hospitals,\u201d the letter said.<\/p>\n The who\u2019s who of the CHS hospital deal\u00a0<\/p>\n Commonwealth Health is owned by for-profit Tennessee-based Community Health Systems Inc.<\/p>\n Tenor Health Foundation<\/a> is a nonprofit that “was formed to identify, own, manage, and turn around financially challenged hospitals,\u201d according to its website.<\/p>\n Tenor’s first acquisition was Sharon Regional Medical Center in Mercer County, Pennsylvania<\/a>. That facility, previously under private ownership, closed in January. It reopened under Tenor’s ownership in March<\/a>.<\/p>\n Tenor is looking to purchase Regional Hospital of Scranton and Moses Taylor Hospital in Scranton, in addition to Wilkes-Barre General.<\/p>\n Regional and Moses Taylor operate under one license. CHS consolidated the emergency rooms at the Scranton facilities into one in 2023, effectively closing Moses Taylor\u2019s ER operations.<\/p>\n Tenor\u2019s involvement came after months of searching for a new buyer, after a previous deal with Woodbridge Healthcare, Inc. fell through in November of 2024<\/a>.<\/p>\n