Monsour Medical

For a town that has been on the economic decline for over two decades, Jeannette, Pennsylvania held its own. Not so much for the Monsour Medical Center.






For a town that has been on the economic decline for over two decades, Jeannette, Pennsylvania held its own as it was located near the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Toll Road 66. The town suffered a loss of jobs that rank in the thousands due to numerous glass factory closures that trickled down and affected nearly every small business and resident. But one constant throughout all of this was Monsour Medical Center.

It would be a fair assumption to say that Monsour never fully prospered, partially because of mismanagement, a high debt load and a poor quality of care. It would also be a fair assumption to say that the economy had some bearing on Monsour’s closure in 2006, especially as there was another hospital just two miles away – which closed in 2010. The facility flirted with bankruptcies four times in its brief tenure.

Monsour Medical Center was located in Jeannette, Pennsylvania and opened in 1952 as a roadside clinic nicknamed “Senator Brown’s Mansion” along U.S. Route 30, the Lincoln Highway. Just a few years later, the hospital expanded into a 100 bed facility, prospering and completing one of two planned patient towers in 1971.

Troubles first began for Monsour in 1980, when it filed for the first of four bankruptcies. The first bankruptcy lasted eight years and was only resolved when a $19 million bond was issued to resolve outstanding debt. In 1991, the hospital filed for bankruptcy again, only to file for another in 2001. Various plans were discussed to improve the financial stability of Monsour, such as renaming it to the Doctors Hospital of Westmoreland County, completing physical improvements, purchasing new equipment, recruiting new doctors and adding a medical arts building. None of that occured, and the hospital languished until 2004, when its two year operating license was revoked by the Pennsylvania Department of Health for failure to comply with regulations. As a result, Monsour was issued the first of four six-month provisional licenses.

Compounding the issue further, Monsour’s highly-profitable pain clinic closed shortly after due to suspicious circumstances, only to reopen with new management. The hospital then attempted to form a new cardiology and geriatric medicine program, although the issue was muddled with its fourth bankruptcy filing in October 2004.

In a last ditch effort to save the hospital, Monsour planned to sell part or all of the hospital to physicians in exchange for 50% ownership. The plan, such as others that included converting Monsour into a speciality surgical hospital, never made it off of the planning board. In January 2006, Monsour was cited with seven regulatory violations and at that time, had just seven patients. Because of this, the hospital was limited to 66 beds and was prohibited from performing surgeries or administering anesthesia. Instead of fighting the charges, Monsour closed its doors almost immediately.

The highly visible hospital has suffered greatly since its closure. While the hospital seemed fairly intact from the exterior on a recent inspection, two fires in 2011 have left the brown brick facade charred. Inside Monsour and the conditions vary dramatically. The eastern wing is plagued with black mold while the upper levels have suffered smoke damage, with burnt remains of furniture, ceiling tiles and other materials littering the floors. More unsettling are the needles that scatter the floor, some used, others still within their packages. The morgue, while intact, contains visible stains and unidentifiable materials.

The lobby, with its pink decor, has at least remained in decent condition. Furniture still reside in the waiting area, along with an assortment of magazines and browned plants. Other equipment, such as mechanical beds, copiers and televisions, can be found throughout the complex.

Any hope at salvaging the hospital for a potential future use diminish with each passing year, and it does not seem there is a reuse in the works. The property, which was in foreclosure, is in ownership dispute which explains as to how the hospital has remained unboarded and wide open essentially since its closure.






11 Comments

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Does anyone know where I can find pics from inside the old stone house on this property? It was torn down this week. The hospital is also going to be torn down by summer.

I was a patient here and thay treated me very good some of the drs there was the best there r the reson that i am the man i am to day if it was not for them i dont no were i would be today probaly in prison no joke i was a lil butt win i was a kid very bad but thay help me and i thank every dr that help me throw my hard times i am worryed that my personal info is out there for any body to get and thats scary hope some body gets every bodys info out befor some body gets them not just mine every body that was there thanks agin have a nice day

The hospital is currently under a federal investigation because when it closed all of the medical records and various other confidential files were just left there. It is in violation of HIPAA and the former owners could face up to 10 years in a federal prison. Also, they cannot demolish the building because the city doesn't have enough money to do it. Sadly, it will just sit there, continuing to be an eyesore for the town and all of its residents.

What a great hospital it was-the staff was amazing, I remember clearly. An absoute disgrace the furnature and salvagable contents weren’t donated at the closure…instead it rotted and now probably hazzardous. I wish a protest would happen pushing the owners the do right thing and clean it up or at least board the broken window in the front door.

also abandoned is dr. bill monsour office bldg next door to the hospital the whole roof slid to the ground. infested with rats. this is a disgrace and no one will clean it . come on jeannette and hempfield twp

It was not the quality of care that help to close the hospital. It was mis-management of money and them getting insurance companies to let the patients come to the hospital. As with all hospital you will have people say they had good care or bad care. The employers did one hell of a job even though we took pay cut after pay cute our health insurance was tampered with and we lost retirement funds, but many were there for many years working there because we were a family.

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