Just shy of a year after affiliating with a larger hospital system, Moses Taylor Hospital CEO Justin Davis touted partnerships with Commonwealth Health.
Mr. Davis, speaking Wednesday to the hospital's board of directors during its annual public meeting, cited as accomplishments numerous programs that Moses Taylor and other affiliates of Commonwealth Health have joined this year. He said Moses Taylor joining a larger health care system helps it tap into additional resources, including help recruiting more hospital specialists to the area.
As an example, Moses Taylor staff recruited a gynecologic oncologist surgeon to the hospital a couple of months ago. The doctor, George Chamoun, also has an affiliation with Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.
"By working together, we offer a more attractive opportunity to physicians who are choosing where they want to practice, and patients benefit through the availability of more robust clinical resources closer to home," Mr. Davis said after the meeting.
Moses Taylor has recruited six new specialists, a significant increase compared to the five it added in the prior two years combined.
Mr. Davis was named CEO of Moses Taylor seven months ago after serving as chief operating officer for Wilkes-Barre General Hospital and Wyoming Valley Health Care System for nearly two years.
One of eight hospitals in the region affiliated with Commonwealth Health, Moses Taylor Hospital has received $6.2 million in capital improvements this year. As part of acquiring hospitals in the area, Commonwealth Health committed to investing at least $60 million in capital improvements in the next five years.
Commonwealth Health is part of the Tennessee-based Community Health Systems Inc., one of the largest publicly traded hospital companies in the country.
Independent hospitals associating with larger health care systems happened throughout the region in recent years. While Moses Taylor and Regional Hospital were acquired by a larger hospital system, Scranton's other hospital - Community Medical Center - became part of the Geisinger Health System earlier this year.
Contact the writer: rward@timesshamrock.com, @rwardTT on Twitter.