A city hospital has stopped admitting children to its pediatrics unit after an agreement reached in May has those patients transferred to an affiliated hospital just blocks away.
In May, Regional Hospital of Scranton began sending any medical or surgical pediatric patients to Moses Taylor Hospital as part of a transfer agreement with the fellow Commonwealth Health hospital, officials confirmed Friday.
The shift stems from Commonwealth Health's development of a Pediatric Center of Excellence at Moses Taylor, Commonwealth Health spokesman James P. McGuire said Friday.
As part of the initiative, Moses Taylor's pediatric unit is expected to jump from eight beds to 16 all-private rooms. By August, physicians from Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital who specialize in caring for children will provide on-site care.
Regional Hospital of Scranton still provides outpatient pediatric surgical services.
"Commonwealth Health is developing a long-range plan to transform health care in Northeastern Pennsylvania, building on the strengths of each facility and coordinating care across our network," Mr. McGuire said in a statement.
"Families already count on Moses Taylor Hospital for quality maternity care, so the hospital's larger inpatient pediatric resources and capacity are a strong foundation for our Pediatric Center of Excellence."
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