Three area hospitals and a number of outpatient clinics now officially belong to Community Health Systems Inc., a for-profit company that has promised to invest at least $68 million in the facilities over the next five years.
The $150 million sale of the former Mercy Hospital in Scranton, now called Regional Hospital of Scranton, as well as Tyler Memorial Hospital in Tunkhannock and Special Care Hospital in Nanticoke, was finalized Monday. Tennessee-based CHS, which owns Wilkes-Barre General, Pottstown Memorial Medical Center and 128 other hospitals throughout the country, was selected as a buyer for the facilities owned by Mercy Health Partners in February.
The new Mercy System includes the 198-bed Regional Hospital of Scranton (PA) and 48-bed Tyler Memorial Hospital in Tunkhannock, PA, bringing CHS' total number of acute hospitals in Pennsylvania to 13. CHS also acquired Mercy Health Partners' 67-bed Special Care Hospital in Nanticoke, PA, and other outpatient and ancillary services.
Despite the name changes and the shift from nonprofit to for-profit facilities, hospital and CHS officials said there will be little change in the day-to-day operations. CHS has agreed to keep on all hospital employees in good standing for at least one year and maintain relationships with all physicians serving on the hospitals' medical staffs.
The Scranton Plan
The Scranton Plan is the industrial marketing arm of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce. The mission of The Scranton Plan is to create and retain jobs for Lackawanna County. With the help of two Chamber divisions, the Scranton Lackawanna Industrial Building Company (SLIBCO) and the Lackawanna Industrial Fund Enterprises (LIFE), the Scranton Plan is the driving force behind job creation and retention for Lackawanna County.
The Chamber's economic development programs have won numerous awards in the past for their efforts including the Top Economic Development Program in the nation by CUED in 2000, a Top Ten Local Economic Development Group in the May 2008 issue of Site Selection magazine and additional honors from PEDA, NEDA and the Small Business Administration.
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