Pennsylvania Health Department officials have given their blessing to nonprofit Tenor Health Foundation's application to acquire three Northeast Pennsylvania hospitals, multiple sources said Wednesday.
The deal is expected to see Tenor take over Wilkes-Barre General, Moses Taylor and Scranton Regional hospitals, which are owned by Commonwealth Health System. A potential price has not been disclosed.
Officials with Tenor and Commonwealth said they are working to confirm the next steps in closing the deal, but Wednesday's news elicited relief from lawmakers and community supporters who have been fighting to keep the three hospitals open amid years of financial struggles and an earlier effort to sell them to a different buyer fell through.
"Having Tenor with the cooperation of the Department of Health — and certainly the cooperation of the support from the foundation(s) — to keep the doors open this long and help keep those doors open of the hospital and and the work that's been done from Governor Shapiro's team is the reason that we've gotten to this point," state Rep. Bridget Kosierowski (D-Lackawanna) said.
Kosierowski was referencing a coalition of community foundations that contributed millions of dollars to the hospitals last year while they were bleeding money as efforts to find to buyer were underway.
"So I'm very grateful for all of the support that's that's gone into this approval and most important for the access of our community to emergency care, cardiac care, and labor and delivery care," she said.
Purchase agreement was signed last fall
The road to Wednesday's approval has been a long one.
Tenor and CHS signed a purchase agreement in October for the facilities, expecting to close the deal by year's end if funding and approval were secured.
CEO Radha Savitala on Tuesday told WVIA News that Tenor applied for state Department of Health approval on Nov. 6, 2025, and requested an expedited review. State officials on Tuesday said the review was continuing, but did not say when it would be complete.
That news broke Wednesday afternoon.
What comes next?
"We are working with all parties to confirm a closing date," Savitala said Wednesday.
Tomi Galin, a spokesperson for Commonwealth's for-profit parent company, Tennessee-based Community Health Systems, echoed that.
"We are thrilled to learn that the Pennsylvania Department of Health has approved Tenor Health's acquisition of the hospitals and clinics of Commonwealth Health," Galin said.
"Preserving the healthcare services offered by Commonwealth Health is monumentally important to the community, and we are grateful to everyone who has helped make this transaction possible," Galin added. "The employees and physicians of Commonwealth Health have our deep respect for their professionalism and the quality, compassionate care they provide for their patients."
"This was the final step in the approval process. CHS and Tenor will now work to finalize the transaction as quickly and as smoothly as possible," Galin said.
Many hands involved in process
Kosierowski, Savitala, Commonwealth, U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan, and the foundations all confirmed the approval on Wednesday.
"We thank the Department for its review and thank the Shapiro Administration for their oversight in the process," Savitala wrote in a statement issued Wednesday.
"Congressman Bresnahan was relentless in his efforts to ensure access to healthcare in the region remains strong and Representative Bridget Kosierowski was instrumental in getting the approval completed for her communities," Savitala added. "We are humbled by support of everyone involved and look forward to providing care in Northeast Pennsylvania."
Bresnahan acknowledged the approval in a social media post.
"After months of sustained negotiations and keeping all parties at the table, we’ve reached the finish line. This outcome reflects the dedication and collaboration of local, state, and community partners who came together to support patients, families, and the healthcare workers who serve them every day," Bresnahan wrote.
Bresnahan was a supporter of keeping the struggling hospitals afloat until a deal could be brokered.
Foundations: 'This is a major step'
So, too, was the coalition of community foundations that contributed millions of dollars to the hospitals last year while they were bleeding money as efforts to find a buyer were in limbo.
Participating in the funding arrangement were The Scranton Area Community Foundation, AllOne Foundation & Charities, Luzerne Foundation, Moses Taylor Foundation, NEPA Health Care Foundation, Allied Services, The Wright Center, and the Scranton Chamber of Commerce.
"The five local foundations are pleased that the Department of Health has approved the sale of the hospitals to Tenor Health," spokesman Charlie Lyons said Wednesday.
"This is a major step toward what we hope is a solution that can preserve the critical medical services and the dedicated workforce at the hospitals for the long-term, which is the goal that our foundations, community partners, and government leaders have been working to achieve," Lyons added.
Check back for updates.
