Penn Medicine has announced it has canceled plans to buy the Brandywine Hospital campus from owner and former operator Tower Health, according to a Penn Medicine spokesperson.
“Regarding our plans, our vision included the potential purchase of the former Brandywine Hospital campus from Tower Health, where we hoped to accommodate the VA’s plans as well as explore ways to provide additional access to health care for other local residents,” according to a release issued by Penn Medicine. “We’re continuing to take input from the community.”
Penn Medicine hopes to continue to work with the VA.
“After an intensive due diligence process, we have determined that we would be unable to build out the infrastructure for the project in the space available on the Brandywine campus and will terminate our letter of intent with Tower to purchase the property,” reads the release. “However, this project is of vital importance for both veterans in our region and community members who live in the Coatesville area, and we are working to secure a different property nearby to execute this vision and move ahead with these important partnerships.
“We will continue to work closely with community stakeholders to listen to their ideas and feedback and share plans as these efforts continue.
Tower Health closed Brandywine Hospital on Jan. 31, 2022. Jennersville Hospital was also shuttered a month earlier by Tower Health. Residents of western Chester County are left without a local hospital and some ambulance rides are lengthy.
A Tower Health spokesperson said the property is still for sale.
“The Brandywine property has previously received significant interest from a variety of organizations,” the spokesperson said. “We will reengage in discussions with these companies, along with others, to secure a new owner for the property.”
U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan is a U.S. Air Force Veteran and has worked hard on the hospital sale.
“As a third generation veteran and our federal representative, providing the best quality, state-of-the-art healthcare for our community is of the utmost importance,” said Houlahan, a Chester County Democrat who also represents part of Berks County. “My team and I are in continued conversations with the VA and Penn Medicine and I know we share the same goal — to move this historic partnership forward as expeditiously as possible while acting in the best interest of our veteran and civilian community of Pennsylvania’s 6th District.”
Penn Medicine and the VA had talked about building a public emergency room at the former hospital and making major infrastructure improvements.
Chester County Commissioners Josh Maxwell, Eric Roe and Marian Moskowitz issued a statement:
“We are disappointed that the Brandywine Hospital property did not meet Penn Medicine’s requirements, but we are excited that Penn Medicine remains committed to bringing emergency and acute care back to the Coatesville area, as well as expanding care for veterans through the agreement with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. We will continue to support Penn Medicine’s plans as they seek an alternative location to provide the best health care facility for Chester County residents and veterans.
The commissioners are working with the Greater Coatesville Health Quality Group.
The group’s website reads: “An initiative of the Alliance for Health Equity, the Equity Health Center connects the Greater Coatesville area to affordable health care options and helps people overcome challenges like health care access, transportation, insurance and other obstacles. In the coming months, the Equity Health Center will open at 744 East Lincoln Highway in Coatesville.”
The commissioners support the group.
“We also remain committed in our support for the Greater Coatesville Health Equity Group, both as members of the Group and in providing more than $2 million in funding for the Alliance for Health Equity’s Equity Health Center,” they said. “In every way that we can, we are working with many partners to ensure everyone in the greater Coatesville area has equitable health care options and access.”
ChristianaCare hopes to operate a micro-hospital in Jennersville by late 2024.
The Coatesville VA also released a statement: “This announcement will not impact the care our veterans receive, our operations or our staff. The Department of Veterans Affairs and Penn Medicine signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in June of 2023 with the intent to collaborate on providing modern VA operated infrastructure in the Coatesville area.
“Coatesville VA Medical Center fully intends to continue collaborating with Penn Medicine on this effort to improve health care services for the veterans of southeastern Pennsylvania while Penn Medicine explores the purchase of a different property nearby for this VA specific purpose as well as for them to expand access to care to the residents of Chester County.
“The MOU with Penn Medicine was made possible under section 704 of the historic 2022 Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act.
“VA will continue to pursue local collaborations as they become available and remains committed to the opportunity to work with Penn Medicine to modernize our infrastructure, so it better matches the high-quality care we so proudly provide to the veterans we serve.”
Source: Berkshire mont
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