Commonwealth Health Announces $80 Million Project, Creation of Unified Scranton Campus
4/25/2017
SCRANTON, Pa. (April 26, 2017) – Commonwealth Health will invest approximately $80 million into a construction and renovation project that will connect Moses Taylor Hospital and Regional Hospital of Scranton and create a unified Commonwealth Health Scranton Campus.
The announcement was made Wednesday by Justin Davis, CEO of Regional and Moses Taylor hospitals.
“We’re proud to be able to announce this tangible commitment to our staff, physicians and the community,” Mr. Davis said. “Having our two hospitals connected and working efficiently to coordinate care is a major benefit to our patients. The new construction and modernization of our facilities will enhance our services and improve our ability to care for our community.”
The project is one of the largest private investments by a private, non-tax-exempt institution in Scranton in recent years. When the project is complete, Regional Hospital will become the medical/surgical/cardiology center of the Scranton Campus, housing the Heart & Vascular Institute, while Moses Taylor will become a specialty hospital housing the Women’s & Children’s Hospital and the Commonwealth Health Orthopaedic Institute.
The enhanced Scranton Campus will provide the Lackawanna County and surrounding communities with the region’s most comprehensive health network, offering the highest quality of care through the coordination of services between the two hospitals. The changes will enhance clinical programs, service lines and patient services, create a contemporary clinical environment that supports physician, nurse and staff recruitment, and improve infrastructure for patient and physician convenience.
The contemporary clinical environment designed around today’s delivery methods will also support physician, nurse and staff recruitment. Commonwealth Health has launched a major recruitment campaign with the goal of hiring 160 registered nurses this year along with support staff.
“This is an exciting time to be practicing medicine in the Scranton area with the creation of this comprehensive Scranton Campus that is both physician-friendly and patient-friendly,” Mary Sewatsky, M.D., chief medical officer at Moses Taylor Hospital, said. “Both Regional and Moses Taylor offer exceptional service and by uniting the two hospitals, coordinating our efforts and modernizing both facilities, the patient care will be even better.”
The plan includes several major construction projects and connecting bridges between the existing Regional and Moses Taylor facilities. Both hospitals will offer all private rooms and will be extensively renovated and modernized to allow for easier access between the two facilities for patients, visitors, physicians and staff.
Among the new construction is a centrally sited Medical Office Building to be built between the two hospitals. Additions to the Regional facility include: a new main entrance for the Emergency Department and Heart & Vascular Institute; a new lobby/cafeteria/registration and reception area; and a new structure to house the radiology department and a patient unit.
The expansion of the Heart & Vascular Institute is already underway and is expected to be completed this summer. The 12,000-square foot Heart & Vascular Institute will be situated on Regional’s second floor and will allow for all cardiac-related procedures to be performed in the same coordinated area.
Construction on Regional’s intensive care unit expansion and modernization which was announced last August is expected to begin this year.
Other changes to Regional are: an expanded emergency department with 50 beds; renovation of the operating room suite; renovations to all floors in the patient tower, and the addition of a helipad onto the existing roof.
At Moses Taylor, the eight-room operating suite will be renovated and modernized; the second and fourth floors will be converted into private modern orthopedic units, and the intensive care and emergency room will be transformed into specialty departments.
Moses Taylor is the only hospital in Lackawanna County that delivers babies and was the first hospital in the nation to earn Perinatal Care Certification by The Joint Commission. Moses Taylor offers around-the-clock pediatric hospitalist care through an agreement with Penn State Children’s Hospital, pediatric specialists, a new pediatric wing and a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
The project is in the design development stage with the anticipated start of construction to be determined. The targeted completion date is 2020, if not sooner.
Back