Chester County Medicine Summer 2021 - 14

www. che s terc ms.o r g
save our
Chester County
Hospitals
BY KEVIN MCKEIGHAN
C
ommunities throughout Chester County are faced with a
situation that could, above all else, threaten patients' access
to appropriate healthcare and medical treatment. Three
Chester County hospitals, all part of the Reading based Tower
Health System may be in danger of being closed. The system may
have to find potential buyers for Brandywine, Phoenixville and/or
Jennersville Hospitals.
As reported by Harold Brubaker of the Philadelphia Inquirer,
Tower Health's President and Chief Executive Officer Sue Perrotty
announced changes that will affect nearly 100 providers and
as many support staff. In early May 2021, Tower announced
that it would close some departments, downsize others, and in
certain cases terminate the employment of medical professionals
(Brubaker, 2021). Local leaders and experts in the field of
medicine are worried about the ramifications if the hospitals close
or if Tower begins selling assets.
Typically, municipalities that experience the closure of a
hospital can subsequently experience a stifled economy, loss of
jobs for physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals, as
well as a decrease in the availability of healthcare for the people
in their community. In Chester County, this would mean that
citizens of western and southern Chester County would have to
travel upwards of forty minutes further than normal, to seek what
could very well be life-saving treatment. However, if these hospitals
do in fact close, the lack of proper healthcare for Chester County
residents may only be the tip of the iceberg.
Examples of rural hospital closings are well documented,
perhaps because the chain reaction is predictable and almost always
causes economic deterioration and job loss. When a hospital
closes, upwards of dozens of medical and health professionals
will be transferred if they have not already lost their job. Local
providers begin losing business, forcing them to refocus and
many times pursue opportunities elsewhere. Having inadequate
hospital facilities and a lack of healthcare providers is unattractive
to families or businesses considering moving to the area which
can contribute to the threat of dwindling property value (Brame,
2017). Without attracting new residents and new businesses, job
14 CHESTER COUNTY Medicine | SUMMER 2021
markets extending beyond the field of medicine and healthcare
may stagnate and significantly weaken the job market (Brame,
2017).
As seen on the Pennsylvania Medical Society's website,
PAMED staff and physician leadership are engaged in
coordinating collaborative efforts with Tower Health, the county
medical societies as well as other stakeholders to address concerns
of physicians who are impacted by changes in the Tower Health
System. PAMED will continue to provide additional resources
and updates as further details are known and new developments
emerge. More information is available at: https://www.pamedsoc.
org/home/news-resources/tower-health.
Communities that could experience these effects include but
are not limited to the Coatesville, Downingtown & Caln area;
Oxford, West Grove, Kennett Square and the greater Phoenixville
area. The effects are not exclusive to only these areas, because
they are likely to impact patients and community members in
the surrounding areas, many of whom have utilized these health
services for generations and have long-standing relationships
within the systems.
To try to save Chester County's three Tower-owned hospitals,
staff and several of the physician leaders of the Chester County
Medical Society have been consulting with elected officials,
legal advisors, healthcare economists, political advisors, state
medical society staff and leadership, and potential investors, and
meeting a wide range of other stakeholders from each of the three
communities. These efforts have focused on the goal of offering
services which are vital to the community and important to many
health system employees. By utilizing existing hospital space
for services for child day care, adult day care, behavioral health,
health/fitness and more, a unique opportunity arises to recoup a
significant profit for these entities.
The CCMS leadership and many concerned physicians are
attempting to preserve access to healthcare for Chester County
residents. It is imperative that the hospitals are purchased before
they are closed, and before assets are sold.
https://www.pamedsoc.org/home/news-resources/tower-health
Chester County Medicine Summer 2021

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