Creating a Bright Future of Care for Northeastern Pennsylvania

The healthcare industry – both nationally and regionally – is rapidly transforming with new market entrants, changing care models and cost inflation outpacing revenue. Hospitals and health systems are often realigned in order to succeed. WoodBridge Healthcare made the decision to acquire Commonwealth Health to ensure the continued access to high-quality care in the NEPA region for years to come.

Commonwealth Health consists of three main hospitals: Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, Regional Hospital of Scranton and Moses Taylor Hospital. The agreement also includes the acquisition of Commonwealth Health’s ambulatory surgery centers, emergency departments, imaging centers, laboratories, outpatient rehabilitation, sleep care centers, walk-in clinics, wound care centers and physician network.

WoodBridge Healthcare is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to helping hospitals and health systems provide high-quality, patient-centered care and community support. Our goal is to achieve this by acquiring hospitals in urban and rural areas, providing capital and optimizing their operations and services to better position the hospitals and caregivers to serve their patients and their community. Learn more here: WoodBridgeHealthcare.org

WoodBridge Healthcare aims to further the system’s mission of meeting the region’s evolving health needs in a compassionate, collaborative and cost-effective manner. WoodBridge will work to enhance community health, partner with local organizations to address care gaps, and use hospital resources to provide consistent, tailored care directly to the people who need it.

During this process we will spend time learning more about the hospitals and communities as we gather input to plan for the future. At this stage, it is too early to say whether name changes will occur.

Upon completion of the transaction later this year, Commonwealth Health will revert to a nonprofit healthcare system. Being a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization means that our primary focus is the well-being of our patients and the community. This allows the health system to reinvest funds into facilities, services, people and community programs.

For employees, nothing changes immediately. WoodBridge intends to hire all Commonwealth Health employees in good standing. Employees would retain their positions at the original date of service, and earned benefits would remain in place at the time the agreement is finalized.

Yes. Existing collective bargaining agreements with SEIU and PASNAP will continue to be honored. WoodBridge Healthcare leadership has a history of strong relationships with major unions. We look forward to future conversations and working relationships with union leaders.

Nothing changes today for patients. Patients can continue to see the same doctors and providers they know and trust, at the same locations, with the same services. WoodBridge Healthcare plans to make a substantial investment in capital to ensure that the needs of its patients are met with state-of-the-art equipment and technology designed to enhance the quality of care provided.

This agreement does not change anything for patients – including the services the health system currently provides.

We do not anticipate changes to the insurance plans the system accepts as a result of this purchase. We are early in the process and as we learn more will share additional details.

As a nonprofit, the system will reinvest profits in the hospital and the community. This allows us to enhance our services, improve facilities and better care for underserved populations, ultimately benefiting the entire community.