ChristianaCare has completed its purchase of the former Jennersville Hospital in West Grove, PA from Tower Health for $8 million.
The northern Delaware-based healthcare system will put a priority on reopening emergency services at the hospital site that will be known as ChristianaCare West Grove Campus.
“It is our privilege to serve our neighbors in southern Chester County as expert, caring partners in health,” said Janice E. Nevin, M.D. ChristianaCare CEO. “We are excited to have this opportunity to reimagine health care at the ChristianaCare West Grove Campus. We are here as long-term partners in supporting a healthy southern Chester County community.”
ChristianaCare and Tower Health initially announced the purchase agreement on June 14. The purchase includes the hospital, which has been closed since Dec. 31, and Tower Health’s interest in two office buildings, plus an additional 24-acre parcel of land adjacent to the hospital. The purchase price was $8 million.
Financially troubled Tower Health closed the hospital after a previous offer fell through.
Since the purchase was announced in June, ChristianaCare leaders have been meeting with community leaders.
“This has been an extraordinary experience to date. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve the southern Chester County community, and everyone has been incredibly welcoming and supportive,” said Heather Farley, M.D., ChristianaCare chief wellness officer and co-lead for the campus development strategy.
“Our first priority is to re-establish local access to emergency services,” Dr. Farley said. “We’ve heard loud and clear that this is what the community most urgently needs.”
The hospital’s closing led to concerns by emergency medical personnel and others on the amount of time required for patients tobe transported to the nearest emergency rooms in West Chester and at ChristianaCare’s Newark campus. The West-Grove-Landenberg area has a large population of retirees.
Kennett Square which has emerged as a focal point for the area, does not have a hospital.
As for other services, “It’s going to take a few more months before we can lay out a timeline,” said Douglas P. Azar, ChristianaCare senior vice president, strategic clinical integration. “Planning is under way to develop a smart, sustainable model for this campus that will meet the long-term needs of the community. There are a lot of complexities that go into that, including information technology, supply chain, workforce, building renovations and much more. We’re going to move as quickly as we can, and we look forward to our continued conversations with the community along the way.”
ChristianaCare expanded services after the hospital closed at the end of last year. On March 21, ChristianaCare announced the integration of two primary care practices at Jennersville and West Grove that were previously part of Tower Health.
ChristianaCare has experience in operating smaller health care campuses after a merger with the organization operating Union Hospital in Elkton.
