SHARON, Pa. – Although Sharon Regional Medical Center was closed Monday, the parking lots were full.
Hospital employees came to take their personal belongings and listen to information presentations about how to obtain benefits and job assistance, CareerLink if they live in Pennsylvania or OhioMeansJobs for Ohioans.
A lone ambulance from Elite EMS remained parked outside the emergency room. A hospital employee said the ambulance temporarily ensures that if someone arrives at the Sharon hospital emergency room and requires immediate care, they could quickly be transported to another facility. However, having ambulances take patients out of the city will lead to longer periods when ambulances are unavailable.
Although the hospital’s closure has been well publicized and there are signs on the doors announcing the closure, at least once Monday afternoon someone was pulling on the doors trying to get inside to get medical records. An employee outside suggested calling to get instructions.
Even as they loaded their cars, some employees remained optimistic that the closure of the hospital would be a temporary situation. However, now that the closure has been completed, reopening would be more complicated than having remained open under a new owner, they noted.
One employee, who worked in the psychology department but didn’t want to give his name, said he is hearing that negotiations with Tenor Health Partners are still ongoing and even progressing, and he’s optimistic as long as talks continue and Tenor has not withdrawn its interest in the hospital as Meadvillle Medical Center did last month.
The Sharon Herald reported this morning that a $10 million loan to Tenor has been promised by local governments, economic development agencies and the Buhl Foundation to fund reopening of the hospital.
He talked about how much the community needs the Sharon hospital, especially its excellent heart, stroke and psychiatric care. And he pointed out that Sharon was the only facility in the area that accepted adolescent and children psychiatric patients.
“It’s a ripple effect,” he said, noting 700 patients used psychiatric services from Sharon Regional to obtain their medications, and there are 42 beds there daily. Additionally, patients sometimes came from five or six hours away for those services because there are few options in the area.
The loss of those beds means farther distances for patients who relied on the Sharon hospital for their care and then displacement for patients who are seeking appointments or care at other facilities.
Even as the Sharon hospital stopped accepting patients in various departments, the emergency room remained open until nearly the last minute.
“We were the last ones standing,” said Sheryl, a registered nurse who worked more than a decade in the Sharon emergency room. She offered only her first name. “And if we reopen, we will be the first back, so we have our fingers crossed.”
She said some employees remain working even though the hospital is closed, cleaning the facilities and going through the supplies. While she considers applying for other jobs, she still hopes to return to her workplace “family” she has developed through the years.
Steward Health Care System, which filed for bankruptcy in May 2024, announced Dec. 14 that the hospital would close Jan. 6 unless it was sold. Employees will continue to be paid under the WARN Act until Feb. 14.
Eventually, the ripple effect that is already creating problems for patients and leading other hospital facilities such as UPMC Horizon to add staff, will also hurt the tax bases of the city and county as about 800 employees are being displaced.
Two local hospitals will have hiring events this week to capitalize on the closure to fill staff shortages at their facilities. Events are set for Tuesday at Insight Hospital and Medical Center Trumbull and Wednesday at UPMC Horizon.
Robert Rogalski, president of Sharon Regional Medical Center, announced last week that Tenor and Medical Properties Trust, which owns the hospital property, had an agreement in principle that, once finalized, would keep the hospital open. Neither Rogalski nor Tenor founder Radha Savitala have returned phone calls requesting an update on the negotiations.
In a statement released Monday, Robert Fiscus, Sharon city manager, expressed frustration that the hospital has closed. “The City of Sharon, along with our community partners, is deeply disappointed by the recent and unnecessary closure of Sharon Regional Medical Center. While we recognize that the City and its partners are not the decision-makers in this matter, we have committed ourselves to advocating for accessible healthcare, the well-being of our dedicated healthcare professionals, and the stability of our local economy,” Fiscus wrote. “We continue to lend our unwavering support to the organizations currently engaged in critical negotiations aimed at reopening the hospital. We remain hopeful and optimistic that these efforts will ultimately succeed, and that our community will regain access to the essential healthcare services that are vital for all residents.”
Pictured at top: Closure signs are seen on doors at Sharon Regional Medical Center on Monday.