A month after Tenor Health Foundation expected to take over three local hospitals, the nonprofit's leader issued a statement Tuesday saying only the state's approval is delaying its plan.
“We stand ready to conclude the transaction and to successfully operate Wilkes-Barre General, Moses Taylor and Scranton Regional hospitals, however we await Department of Health approval,” Tenor CEO Radha Savitala said in a statement. "We are hopeful the approval is forthcoming within days."
Tenor and CHS signed a purchase agreement in October for the two Scranton hospitals and Wilkes-Barre General, expecting to close the deal by year's end if it secured funding.
On Tuesday, Savitala told WVIA News that Tenor applied for state Department of Health approval on Nov. 6, 2025, and requested an expedited review.
The department said the review continues, but did not say when it will be complete.
“The Pennsylvania Department of Health continues to review the change-in-ownership application submitted by the Tenor Health Foundation regarding its interest in purchasing the hospitals currently owned by Commonwealth Health Systems. The process is ongoing,” the department told WVIA News in a statement.
Legislators continue to monitor hospital deal
In an interview, state Rep. Bridget Kosierowski (D-Lackawanna) said she’s been in regular contact with the Department of Health.
“I know they are laser-focused on it. They've got all hands on deck. The Department of Health is well aware of how important this decision is for the community and the workforce and the patients. So the delay isn't really a delay. It's more about, okay, we've gotten through this part A, part B, part C, but we need a little bit more information,” Kosierowski said.
She said the department is "moving as fast as they can."
“They have to do a thorough process, and I'm being very patient and letting them do their work, because this is an important thing to approve," Kosierowski said. "It's an important thing to approve a reasonable deliverer of care when it comes to a hospital. They have to do their due diligence, and we have to be patient.”
Kosierowski remains hopeful a decision will happen by the end of the month.
In a statement, U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-Luzerne) said he hopes the state approves soon.
“My team and I have been working to find a solution for the hospitals since the beginning, and we will continue to do so until we cross the finish line,” said Bresnahan. “I implore the governor and his administration to do what is best for the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania and ensure a continuity of care. Regional, Moses Taylor, and Wilkes-Barre General play a key role in our region’s healthcare and are a strong backbone of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s workforce.”
Kosierowski said she’s grateful for the support of community partners through the sale process, including the local foundations that stepped in to financially support the struggling hospitals after an initial deal collapsed and Bresnahan’s team.
“As a whole, we've been kind of working across party lines on this,” she said.
THE WHO'S WHO OF THE DEAL
● Commonwealth Health is owned by for-profit Tennessee-based Community Health Systems Inc.
● Tenor Health Foundation is a nonprofit "formed to identify, own, manage, and turn around financially challenged hospitals,” according to its website. Tenor's first acquisition was Sharon Regional Medical Center in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. That hospital, previously privately owned, closed last January. It reopened under Tenor's ownership in March.
● Regional and Moses Taylor operate under one license. CHS consolidated the Scranton hospitals' emergency rooms in 2023, closing Moses Taylor’s ER.
● Tenor’s involvement came after months of searching for a new buyer after a previous deal with Woodbridge Healthcare, Inc. fell through in November 2024.
