After months of thoughtful exploration and analysis, the Tower Health Board of Directors today announced a series of actions that will reshape the health system and establish a clear path forward for decades to come.
At its meeting last week, the Tower Health Board approved:
- Signing a non-binding letter of intent (LOI) with Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic to evaluate and plan for the transfer of ownership of Chestnut Hill Hospital and more than a dozen Tower Health urgent care centers across the surrounding region.
- Beginning an orderly process to close Jennersville Hospital, effective January 1, 2022. During this period, the hospital and emergency department will remain open and continue to care for patients and the community. Tower Health is fully committed to placing as many impacted employees and physicians as it can into other positions within Tower Health for which they are qualified, or through priority consideration for open positions at Penn Medicine, with which we recently announced plans to develop a strategic alliance, and which offers a variety of services in the Chester County region.
Tower Health will continue to operate St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, a vital healthcare resource for some of the region’s most vulnerable populations, while working with local and state agencies and organizations to help secure its long-term future. In addition, Tower Health is continuing to evaluate options to determine and define the future of Brandywine Hospital in a way that best meets community needs.
"These decisions were made after an intensive process by which Tower’s Board sought to balance long-term sustainability and impact upon our team and the communities we serve. Opportunities for our employees to work at other Tower Health facilities or at Penn Medicine were important to the Board and leadership," said Tom Work, chair of Tower Health’s Board of Directors. "In Trinity Health, we are fortunate to have found a locally based, high-quality, non-profit health system that shares our passion for clinical excellence and our commitment to improving health outcomes in the communities we serve."
All Tower Health facilities will remain open and will continue to provide services as the organization moves forward with this transition process.
"Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic, a member of Trinity Health, is pleased to be in discussions with Tower Health to expand our existing network of care in Pennsylvania. We are committed to retaining employees and providers of Chestnut Hill Hospital and acquired urgent care centers who are in good standing. Their dedication and service will allow us to reach even more residents in the Delaware Valley with our quality and mission-based care," said James L. Woodward, president and CEO of Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic.
Today’s announcement does not impact Reading Hospital, Phoenixville Hospital, Pottstown Hospital, Tower Health at Home, or Tower Health’s remaining urgent care locations. Important partnerships will continue with Acadia Healthcare and the Drexel University College of Medicine (DUCOM), including the new state-of-the-art DUCOM at Tower Health campus in Wyomissing. The ongoing strategic alliance process with Penn Medicine is not affected by this announcement.
"While we have made considerable progress and are in a stronger financial and operational position than we were last year, we must make additional tough decisions that will firmly establish our health system for decades to come," said P. Sue Perrotty, president and CEO of Tower Health. "With these changes, we are beginning a new chapter for Tower Health; one that reduces uncertainty about our future. We can now chart a clear path forward with a constancy of purpose that unifies our entire care and support team around our patient-focused mission, particularly as we further develop our strategic alliance with Penn Medicine."
About Tower Health
Tower Health is a strong, regional, integrated healthcare provider/payer system that offers leading-edge, compassionate healthcare and wellness services to a population of 2.5 million people. With approximately 14,000 team members, Tower Health consists of Reading Hospital in West Reading; Brandywine Hospital in Coatesville; Chestnut Hill Hospital in Philadelphia; Jennersville Hospital in West Grove; Phoenixville Hospital in Phoenixville; Pottstown Hospital in Pottstown; and St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, a partnership of Tower Health and Drexel University in Philadelphia. It also includes Reading Hospital Rehabilitation at Wyomissing; Reading Hospital School of Health Sciences in West Reading; home healthcare services provided by Tower Health at Home; and a network of 25 urgent care facilities across the Tower Health service area. Tower Health offers a connected network of 2,200 physicians, specialists, and providers across more than 230 convenient locations. For more information, visit towerhealth.org.
About Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic
Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic is a regional health system that includes Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Darby, Pa.; Nazareth Hospital in Northeast Philadelphia; Saint Francis Hospital in Wilmington, Del.; St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne, Pa., and home health and LIFE programs throughout the region. These entities include hospitals, associated clinics, medical offices, specialized facilities, affiliated institutions and foundations serving together in the spirit of the Gospel as a compassionate and transforming healing presence within their communities. Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic is a member of Trinity Health.
About Trinity Health
Trinity Health is one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care delivery systems in the nation, serving diverse communities that include more than 30 million people across 22 states. Trinity Health includes 92 hospitals, as well as 100 continuing care locations that include PACE programs, senior living facilities, and home care and hospice services. Its continuing care programs provide nearly 2.5 million visits annually. Based in Livonia, Mich., and with annual operating revenues of $18.8 billion and assets of $30.5 billion, the organization returns $1.3 billion to its communities annually in the form of charity care and other community benefit programs. Trinity Health employs about 123,000 colleagues, including 6,800 employed physicians and clinicians. Committed to those who are poor and underserved in its communities, Trinity Health is known for its focus on the country's aging population. As a single, unified ministry, the organization is the innovator of Senior Emergency Departments, the largest not-for-profit provider of home health care services — ranked by number of visits — in the nation, as well as the nation’s leading provider of PACE (Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly) based on the number of available programs. For more information, visit trinity-health.org. You can also follow Trinity Health on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter.