As Sharon (Pa.) Regional Medical Center faces a state-ordered closure amid mounting financial troubles, Pittsburgh-based UPMC is reassuring residents of Mercer and Lawrence counties that its hospitals remain open and committed to meeting the region’s healthcare needs.
In a Nov. 11 letter to the community, leaders of UPMC Horizon and UPMC Jameson outlined investments in inpatient capacity, emergency services, specialty care and behavioral health, emphasizing the system’s long-term commitment to the region.
“Recent events in Mercer County have created understandable questions about where people can turn for care,” Dave Patton, president of UPMC Horizon and UPMC Jameson, and Jon Henwood, president of the hospitals’ medical staffs, wrote in the letter. “We want our community to know: UPMC is here, and we remain deeply committed to caring for the people, families, friends, neighbors and loved ones who call this region home.”
The message comes as Sharon Regional’s future remains uncertain following a series of financial and operational setbacks.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health revoked the hospital’s license, effective Nov. 17, and ordered its closure after utility provider Penn Power threatened to disconnect electricity over an unpaid $638,526 bill.
The Nov. 4 order barred new admissions and required emergency services to cease by Nov. 6. Sharon Regional suspended all hospital services Nov. 4 as its owner, Pasadena, Calif.-based Tenor Health Foundation, pursues a restructuring.
The hospital had previously missed two employee pay cycles in October and suspended inpatient services Oct. 29. Tenor reopened the facility in May 2025 after acquiring it from the now-defunct Steward Health Care.
Radha Savitala, president and chair of Tenor’s board, told Becker’s that the organization hopes to eventually restore inpatient acute care services while rebuilding staffing and physician coverage. The company has also sought additional financial assistance from the state.
“We made significant investments to rebuild the hospital, including $1.2 million in physical plant improvements, $1.3 million in IT infrastructure, and $624,000 in the hospital’s cardiology program,” Ms. Savitala told Becker’s. “These investments demonstrate our commitment to rebuilding Sharon, but restoring a hospital following a closure, particularly without its previous physician and referral network, proved more challenging than anticipated.”
Meanwhile, UPMC said it has continued expanding services across its three regional hospitals: UPMC Horizon-Shenango Valley in Farrell, Pa., UPMC Horizon-Greenville in Greenville, Pa., and UPMC Jameson in New Castle, Pa.
In recent years, the system has added inpatient beds at all three facilities, expanded emergency department space and treatment areas in Mercer County, strengthened robotic surgery capabilities and introduced advanced cardiac imaging. It has also invested in cancer services and behavioral healthcare.
The system emphasized that its regional hospitals continue to operate 24-hour emergency departments. UPMC Jameson also provides around-the-clock interventional cardiology, while UPMC Horizon offers labor and delivery services through UPMC Magee-Womens, supported by a level II neonatal intensive care unit and specialists from UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
“Healthcare is about more than a single hospital,” the executives wrote. “It is about having access to the right care at the right place at the right time.”
UPMC also encouraged healthcare professionals seeking employment to explore opportunities across its regional network as the organization continues investing in local services.
The letter did not specify whether UPMC plans additional capacity expansions in direct response to Sharon Regional’s closure or how many beds are currently available to accommodate displaced patients.
“The needs of a community change over time. UPMC’s commitment does not,” they wrote. “We will continue listening, investing, adapting and caring. Most importantly, we will continue being here for the communities we are privileged to serve.”
