Monsour Medical Center

Monsour Medical Center is a now-demolished hospital in Jeannette, Pennsylvania. Monsour was founded in 1952 by Howard, Roy, Robert and William Monsour as a roadside clinic in “Senator Brown’s Mansion” but was beset by years of controversy.







History

In 1952, Howard, Roy, Robert, and William Monsour founded a roadside clinic in “Senator Brown’s Mansion” on the outskirts of Jeannette. The six-bed operation, had expanded to 100 beds by 1958. In 1968, a coronary care unit was added, 1 followed by a medical tower in the early 1970s that was to be part of a two-tower complex. 6

In an effort to broaden the Monsour brand, the Monsour Academy of Medicine was established in 1971 to recruit distinguished speakers on related medical topics. 1 In 1975, the Monsour brothers transferred ownership to the Monsour Medical Foundation. 1

Bankruptcies

Monsour Medical Center filed for bankruptcy protection in 1980 and emerged from bankruptcy in 1988. A 1989 reorganization plan called for a $19 million bond issue to resolve an outstanding debt to resolve issues regarding the construction of an adjoining $2 million medical arts building. 1 The hospital filed for bankruptcy again in 1991. 1 Howard Monsour purchased the circa 1989 bond payments for a discounted price of $3 million in 1992 but failed to make the required monthly payments. 3 The hospital was transferred from a court-appointed trustee to a new board of directors in 1993.

Monsour Medical Center sought bankruptcy protection for a third time in March 2001, listing $1 million in liabilities; it was also behind $250,000 in state taxes. 6 13 The hospital had diverted money for taxes to cover basic operating expenses. After a settlement plan was approved, Monsour emerged from bankruptcy on November 21, 2003. CEO Richard Adams proposed to rename Monsour to the Doctors Hospital of Westmoreland County to shed the hospital’s shaky reputation, renovations, new equipment, and new doctors. 9 Adams resigned in January 2004 after the hospital refused to carry out any of his recommendations.

Shortly after, the Pennsylvania Department of Health revoked the hospital’s two-year operating license due to failure to comply with regulations, and it was issued the first of four six-month provisional licenses on the contingency that its regulatory policies would eventually improve. 1 A pain clinic at Monsour temporarily closed on July 11 after under suspicious circumstances 8 when two of its doctors were fired. The hospital learned the duo had planned on starting a competing pain management clinic.

Monsour filed for bankruptcy for the fourth and final time on October 14 as the weak financial stability of the hospital had deteriorated in recent months due to the temporary loss of the pain clinic. 11 It listed debts of $40 million. In February 2005, 9 Monsour announced plans to form a new cardiology and geriatric medicine program in a bid to increase revenues. 5

A federal bankruptcy judge dismissed the bankruptcy case against Monsour in March after the hospital was notified that it was receiving $2.5 million in financing from an unidentified investor. 14 But shortly after, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield noted that it would no longer pay for non-emergency care at the hospital due to ongoing financial issues. 1

In September, Monsour received its fourth provisional license; because of state law, no more than four provisional licenses in a series could be issued. 1 12

In a November 28 memo to physicians, the hospital proposed to sell part or all of the hospital to physicians in exchange for 50% ownership. 7 For $24,000, the doctors could own a stake in the $7 million transformation of Monsour into a specialty surgical facility. Physicians would be able to use five of the tower’s seven floors to set up surgical practices in neurology, orthopedics, podiatry, plastic surgery, cardiology, and general surgery. The reimagined facility would have five operating rooms with a capacity of 45 surgeries per day, 20 short-stay inpatient beds, an imaging center, and a laboratory, and would generate $13 million in profits in the first year.

The pain clinic closed on December 15 after two Pennsylvania Health Department inspections found a large number of violations in regards to patient safety, confidentiality, and the control of drugs. 1 Monsour was then cited for seven regulatory violations during an inspection in January 2006 when the hospital had just seven patients. 1 5 The state threatened to withhold a new operating license and instead issued a limited operating license on March 15 which prohibited Monsour from performing surgeries and administering anesthesia. The number of beds was reduced to 66 due to the restrictions, including 12 for medical patients and six for intensive-care patients. 5 The hospital notified the state that it would not accept the limited license due to liability risks, and closed on March 16 with just 20 patients. 1 5

Post-Closure

In the fall of 2007, Westmoreland Priority foreclosed on the hospital property over debts of $35 million. 3 The abandoned tower caught fire on June 9, 2011, 2 and again on October 8, causing minimal damage. 4

In December 2013, frustrated by failed attempts to have the Monsour family demolish the deteriorated facility, the city of Jeannette and Westmoreland County signed an agreement of cooperation to work together to secure and begin demolition of the Monsour Medical Center. 15 The county applied for a $1 million state grant to tear down Monsour in January 2014 and began making moves to gain ownership of the property through a “free and clear” sale held by a county judge by notifying lien holders of their intent. 16

The city obtained private funding from the Neighborhood Partnership Program and began demolition of two dilapidated houses near the former hospital in late January 2014. 15 Work to raze Monsour began on February 23, 2016. 16



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Sources

  1. “Monsour Medical Center timeline.” Tribune Review [Pittsburgh] 18 Mar. 2006: n. pag. TribLive. Web.14 Nov. 2011. Article.
  2. Andren, Kari. “Fire guts room in vacant Monsour Medical Center.” Tribune Review [Pittsburgh] 10 July 2011: n. pag. TribLive. Web.14 Nov. 2011. Article.
  3. Gazarik, Richard. “Monsour Medical Center sale blocked.” Tribune Review [Pittsburgh] 31 Dec. 2007: n. pag. TribLive. Web.14 Nov. 2011. Article.
  4. Crews Put Out Fire At Old Medical Center In Jeannette. CBS. KDKA, Pittsburgh, 8 Oct. 2011. CBS Pittsburgh. Web. Transcript. 14 Nov. 2011. Article.
  5. Cholodofsky, Rich. “Monsour Medical Center to close.” Tribune Review [Pittsburgh] 18 March 2006: n. pag. TribLive. Web.14 Nov. 2011. Article.
  6. Gazarik, Richard. “Monsour Medical Center renamed.” Tribune Review [Pittsburgh] 20 Nov. 2002: n. pag. TribLive. Web.15 Nov. 2011. Article.
  7. Gazarik, Richard. “Monsour may sell stakes in hospital.” Tribune Review [Pittsburgh] 2 Dec. 2005: n. pag. TribLive. Web.15 Nov. 2011. Article.
  8. Gazarik, Richard. “Monsour deficiencies detailed.” Tribune Review [Pittsburgh] 20 May 2004: n. pag. TribLive. Web.15 Nov. 2011. Article.
  9. Gazarik, Richard. “Monsour has plan to boost revenues.” Tribune Review [Pittsburgh] 18 Feb. 2005: n. pag. TribLive. Web.15 Nov. 2011. Article.
  10. Gazarik, Richard. “Monsour to shutter pain clinic.” Tribune Review [Pittsburgh] 15 Oct. 2005: n. pag. TribLive. Web.15 Nov. 2011. Article.
  11. Gazarik, Richard. “Monsour files for bankruptcy again.” Tribune Review [Pittsburgh] 16 Oct. 2004: n. pag. TribLive. Web.15 Nov. 2011. Article.
  12. Gazarik, Richard. “Monsour’s son takes the reins.” Tribune Review [Pittsburgh] 17 Aug. 2005: n. pag. TribLive. Web.15 Nov. 2011. Article.
  13. Gazarik, Richard. “CEO plans big changes for Monsour hospital.” Tribune Review [Pittsburgh] 14 July 2003: n. pag. TribLive. Web.15 Nov. 2011. Article.
  14. Gazarik, Richard. “Monsour’s prognosis ‘getting pretty darn serious’.” Tribune Review [Pittsburgh] 17 April 2005: n. pag. TribLive. Web.15 Nov. 2011. Article.
  15. Duncan, Debra. “State aid sought to raze Monsour Medical Center in Jeannette.” Tribune Review [Pittsburgh] 30 Jan. 2014: n. pag. TribLiveWeb. 1 Mar. 2014. Article.
  16. Hardway, Ashlie. “Monsour demolition brings fears of collapse, road closures and crowds.” WTAE [Pittsburgh] 24 Feb. 2016: n. pag. Web. 7 Mar. 2014.

18 Comments

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Back in 1975 I was pregnant with my first baby. I was 22 weeks and went to Monsour because this is where my OBGYN practiced.I had a miscarriage and my doctor didn’t come into the hospital until the next morning. While laying in extreme pain they sent a young intern to see if he could get a heart beat. He threw the instrument across the room and stormed out saying I don’t know why they sent me to do this it’s not my specialty. I was young and very naïve at the time and totally at their mercy. My baby came out s I was laying on the examining table. No one was with me. I yelled help as loud as I could. A Nuremberg in and removed my baby that was laying on it’s side. I was pretty much in shock and didn’t know what the procedure was when your placenta doesn’t expel after birth. They gave me Pectocin to help my uterus expell the placenta. I heard someone talking to my then husband saying that the baby weighed certain number of ounces and it was over the weight for disposal but that they could mark it below that and they would dispose it. I wasn’t asked by my husband or the hospital staff what I wanted to do.The next morning my doctor came in and used his hand and pulled out the placenta and said I think I got it all and walked out the door. I was discharged that evening and went home. I ended up having infections after leaving the hospital. I went back to the doctor and he did a aspiration in his office and didn’t explain what he was going to do. He had to do it twice and said I think I got it all this time. He gave me no anesthesia when he preformed this procedure. I ended up with infections. I didn’t learn until many years later that the doctor was sued for malpractice many times.
I learned after all that I went thru then to do research on the doctors and the hospitals that you go to.

My Father was a patient–In the real early years–I’m in need of his medical records–HELP ANYONE!!! Any help–contact at JWSBirdman@aol.com Jeff Smith–Regarding Gerald E Smith Thanks so much in advance!

My son and I were patients there in the mid 1970’s. I would like to be able to receive both mine and my son’s records from the hospital so I know they are seccure and no one can get them. Does anyone know who I need to contact. I live in North Carolina now.

I was there in 2003 for health problems and to see what I seen in pictures I was so devastated…..I just want to now where did all the medical records go that was left in that hospital ? Is my question

I was born there in 1979. I have only seen it twice in my life due to my family moving to Florida after I was born. Once in 2013 and again July 2015. It is a very strange feeling to see my birth place look like something out of a horror film and also very sad. Wish I could have seen it when it was open.

I just moved up here to Pennsylvania and i drove by that hospital and my little boy said mommy that hospital looks like scary place for people to go to.

Oh wow. I drove past this place almost every day of my young life. It’s so creepy to see what became of it.

for having been a patient back in 2004 looking at those pictures of the fire on the fifth floor sent chills up my spine

[…] This building is the former Monsour Medical Center, which has been closed since 2006. This was a privately owned and operated hospital by the four Monsour brothers who were all physicians. They and their family members ran the hospital as their private business. It was a bizarre situation where the hospital was constantly in bankruptcy, and in violation of many state and federal laws and regulations. This following site has some good background info. Abandoned | Monsour Medical Center […]

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