SHARON, Pa. (WKBN) – Sources say Sharon Regional Medical Center’s Emergency Room closed at 7 a.m. Sunday and for a few hours, there were no emergency services available at the hospitals serving the Sharon area.
Frank Jannetti, director of Public Safety for Mercer County, said Sharon Regional is now on diversion, meaning it is no longer accepting patients into its emergency room.
Sources say there are no longer any patients at Sharon Regional. The final psychiatric patients were removed last week. The hospital also did no “elective” surgeries last week.
He says that at 6:30 Sunday morning, he was informed by Mercer County’s 911 Center that the Emergency Room at UPMC Horizon-Shenango Valley in Farrell had also been placed on “diversion.” Jannetti said the diversion was lifted around 9:30 a.m., though he doesn’t know how long the wait is at UPMC.
“So we had both hospitals on diversion for a little while,” Jannetti said. “I don’t know if Sharon Regional’s going to let anybody come back in that hospital again on ER basis. I haven’t figured that out yet.”
Jannetti says he was telling the ambulance companies their options were Grove City, Jamison Hospital in New Castle or St. Elizabeth in Youngstown.
Jannetti said someone from UPMC Farrell called him around 9:30, saying they were off diversion.
“Now I’m not saying it’s not a long wait,” Jannetti said. “I’m not there.”
First News also has learned that negotiations are ongoing to allow Tenor Health Partners to take over Sharon Regional, but no final deal has been reached.
MORE: Local leaders optimistic about new Sharon Regional deal
Shianna Gibbons contributed to this report.