SHARON, Pa. – Within the first hour of reopening Tuesday morning, Sharon Regional Medical Center saw its first emergency patient and the arrival of those with lab orders.
An ambulance backed up to the door with a patient inside, and temporary signage was being placed, covering the logo of former owner Steward Health Care.
Employees were excitedly chattering near the front entrance, happy to greet both patients and each other.
For the first time in more than two months, the Sharon hospital, now operated by Tenor Health Foundation, was back in business.
“We’re just excited we’ve been able to bring health care back to this community and be able to serve the patients here in the Valley,” said Butch Eavenson, the new CEO of the hospital.
Eavenson said he has more than 25 years of experience in health care, including as a hospital CFO and CEO, working at hospitals and facilities that need help to make them sustainable again.
“We hear about the wait times at other emergency rooms and the lack of cardiology and things like that,” Eavenson said. “We’re just really excited to be able to provide that care back for the patients here.”
Getting the hospital to reopen was made possible because of more than 600 employees who stayed on despite the closure Jan. 6 as Steward progressed through its bankruptcy. Tenor paid $1.9 million to acquire the hospital Jan. 10, but the facility couldn’t reopen until Pennsylvania Department of Health concerns were satisfied.
To get the hospital ready, Tenor, with the help of the community, has spent money on upgrades. Eavenson said more probably has been spent over the past two months than in the past six years.
“That’s the beauty – being not for profit – is the money that’s generated here stays here in the community, and stays here in the facility with our staff,” Eavenson said.
On Tuesday, the hospital opened the emergency room, medical surgical beds, ICU beds and rehab, lab, pharmacy and imaging departments. Within the next two weeks, by April 1, Eavenson said the hospital plans to collaborate with the Department of Health to open other areas of the hospital.
“You know, there was a lot of sacrifice, waiting for when we were going to reopen, believing in this team and our plan,” Eavenson said. “So we’re extremely blessed to have such a committed group of employees.”
Sharon City Manager Robert Fiscus said he was happy to drive by Tuesday morning and see so many cars in the parking lot, although he never saw the parking lot entirely empty throughout the closure. Employees were there working with the Department of Health to get the hospital reopened.
“It was much bigger than just Sharon and the loss of the hospital. … It was disastrous for access to patient care,” Fiscus said, adding he heard a lot of horror stories, and he’s happy with the reopening.
Fiscus said the city is grateful for everyone who stepped up to reopen the hospital, including the efforts of Tenor Health President and CEO Radha Savitala, the governor’s office, commonwealth Sen. Michelle Brooks, R-50th, and several local communities that also count on the hospital for their medical needs.
To help with the reopening, the city of Sharon provided a $500,000 grant for malpractice insurance and medical supplies. Penn-Northwest Development Corporation is helping to secure an $11 million loan for operating expenses.
“It was a good sense of community. … It wasn’t just the city of Sharon, but it was our neighboring municipalities helping as much as they could, and it really became something larger,” Fiscus said.
Now Fiscus hopes the communities will continue to support the hospital.
“If we’re having a heart attack or there’s a medical emergency, we recognize that we need the hospital, but now we’ve got to support them in other ways too – if that means going there for our imaging, our lab work or other services they provide that help sustain the emergency services,” Fiscus said. “I know, personally, I’m going to support them, and I’m urging everyone else to also.”
Pictured at top: Mike Ruth of Fast Signs in Akron places a temporary sign for Tenor Health Foundation Sharon onto the sign at Sharon Regional Medical Center on Tuesday morning. Ruth said he also came to cover up the Steward Health logos with blank signs a few weeks ago.