Commonwealth Health Hospitals’ Uncertain Future Worry Scranton, Wilkes-Barre Employees

Fears Over Scranton Hospitals’ Future: A Family’s Perspective

Regional Hospital of Scranton is more than just a hospital for the Sonday family. Both Melissa and her husband PJ are registered nurses there, working in the neonatal intensive care unit and the emergency department respectively. Living in Luzerne borough, these registered nurses face the potential closure of their hospital, which threatens not only their livelihood but also the healthcare of their community.

Job Security amidst Hospital Closures

Melissa Sonday expresses her family’s worry about the uncertain future of the Scranton hospitals. The potential for the emergency room to close and the job losses that could result, put their family’s dual income at risk. Other healthcare facilities in the area may not be hiring or may require shift changes that would disrupt their family life. They rely on carefully coordinated schedules to ensure there is always one parent there to care for their children, an arrangement that could be threatened if they had to find new jobs.

Hope for the Future: New Ownership

Despite these concerns, Melissa Sonday remains hopeful about the nonprofit Tenor Health Foundation’s potential acquisition of the Moses Taylor, Regional, and Wilkes-Barre General Hospitals. However, she is mindful of a failed acquisition attempt by the nonprofit WoodBridge Healthcare, making her cautious about the outcome. There is uncertainty about the prospective owner’s plans – will they expand or consolidate the hospitals? Will they continue to close more services? Without clear communication, staff and community members feel like they are left in the dark.

Shock Opposition to Tenor Acquisition

The board chairman of Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, Justin Matus, recently announced his opposition to the proposed sale to Tenor. He raised concerns about the impact of the acquisition on the hospital’s ability to serve the community and warned of potential resource depletion. He called for state officials to block the sale and suggested the need for a stronger buyer, like the Pittsburgh-based nonprofit UPMC.

Staff Concerns and Hopes for a Positive Outcome

For many hospital staff members, there are fears about job security, hospital closure, and quality of care. Despite the uncertainty, they continue to provide patient care and hope for a positive outcome. There is a shared sentiment that the key priority is to keep the hospitals open, no matter who the buyer is.

Giving Tenor the Benefit of the Doubt

Despite the local skepticism about Tenor, some believe that the potential buyer deserves the benefit of the doubt. Understanding the hesitations and fears of the community, they argue that each new owner should be vetted based on their individual strengths and accomplishments. As much as local or known entities bring comfort, the absence of local interest makes widening the search necessary. For the Sonday family and many others, the situation remains uncertain until a deal is finalized and their hospitals’ future is secured.