SHARON, Pa. – A statement from the Buhl Regional Health Foundation on Wednesday shared concerns about the future of Sharon Regional Medical Center, but it also offered hope to the community that a solution can still be found to keep the hospital open.
“We are deeply concerned about [the hospital’s] future and we want to be abundantly clear: we want to help, and we want to provide hope to everyone in our community,” reads the statement, signed by Angela Palumbo, board chair of the Buhl Regional Health Foundation.
While the foundation reportedly had offered $11 million toward funding the purchase of the hospital, it was determined not to be enough.
After negotiations fell apart over the weekend and Meadville Medical Center pulled out as the proposed operator of the hospital, Steward Health Care System issued a closure notice Monday, with the hospital slated to close Jan. 6. The U.S. Bankruptcy court in Houston gave a three-day deadline for objections to be filed.
The Buhl Regional Health Foundation was funded by the proceeds from the original sale of Sharon Regional in 2014 and has a mandate to improve the health and well-being of Mercer County through education health initiatives and programs, as well as scholarships for students going into a health-related field.
Last year, according to Palumbo, the foundation awarded 35 scholarships totaling $195,000, and an additional $1.75 million in grants was awarded to local organizations.
“We are acutely aware of the devastation of a potential closure of Sharon Regional on everyone,” Palumbo said. “We praise the hospital employees who have withstood enormous challenges for months, if not years, caused by questionable management practices of the hospital’s out-of-state, for-profit owners who are now mired in a bankruptcy that is draining the local facility of badly needed funds.”
However, Palumbo said the foundation board was approached by Meadville Medical Center in the summer seeking $45 million to support the buyout, which the board determined to be an “exorbitant request” and “unsubstantiated” by Meadville Medical, which didn’t have a proper business plan regarding the need for the funding.
Through the Pennsylvania governor’s office, Palumbo said they were approached again on Dec. 12 with a request for $36 million and agreed to convene the foundation’s 14-member board the next day to consider the request. The governor’s office, the Pennsylvania attorney general and Meadville Medical were there, but the board still didn’t receive the answers it sought.
“However, our board determined a creative, generous alternative – a low- to no-interest loan in the amount of $11 million,” Palumbo said, adding it was enough to address the shortfall in the funding needed to facilitate the transfer of the hospital real estate to Meadville Medical and was being matched by other community partners for a commitment of more than $20 million. She further indicated the foundation has been contributing financially to Sharon Regional’s operations since October, helping to keep the hospital open.
Allaying fears for local nursing students, Meadville Medical also released a statement Wednesday saying that a newly approved registered nurse program will not be impacted if Sharon Regional is closed. Students will still be accepted into the nursing program starting in January, with the current cohort of students slated to graduate in May 2026.
Sharon Regional School of Nursing maintains its current accreditation through the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, and the program will continue with the support of Meadville Medical and working closely with Penn State Shenango, Thiel College and the Sharon Regional administration.
Also Wednesday, Frank Mindicino, board chair for UPMC Horizon and UPMC Jameson, issued a statement saying the health care system’s dedicated physicians, nurses and staff are ready to care for members of the community if the Sharon hospital is closed. The UPMC Horizon Family Medicine Residency Program opened a new practice in New Castle to serve more people with primary care physicians.
UPMC is preparing to meet the increased need for care and has opened additional inpatient beds. A $1.5 million emergency department expansion at UPMC Horizon – Shenango Valley increased capacity by 40 patients a day this year.
The statement said UPMC Jameson has a 24-hour, seven-days a week interventional heart program. A new UPMC Western Behavioral Health adult unit is set to open at UPMC Jameson in 2025.
Families in Mercer and Lawrence counties already use UPMC Magee-Women’s, UPMC Children’s and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.
UPMC is training new physicians and nurses, as well as hiring additional team members.
“These efforts reflect our ongoing commitment to building a stronger, healthier future for Mercer, Lawrence and surrounding counties,” Mindicino said. “UPMC stands ready to care for you – providing life-changing care and opportunities. Together, we will keep building a resilient and thriving community.”