SOUTH COATESVILLE — Chester County Hospital President and CEO Michael Duncan stole the show during Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan’s 75th Town Hall meeting, at Monday’s Coatesville Public Safety Training Campus, when he told more than 100 residents that Penn Medicine is considering opening an emergency room at the shuttered Brandywine Hospital.

Duncan said that more will be known by December about whether an emergency room and other health care options will occur.

Penn Medicine will not re-open as a conventional acute care hospital at the Brandywine campus, but is seeking input on what health services may be needed in the area.

Duncan said that the state would likely require that 10 hospital beds are included.

The main thrust of Houlahan’s town hall was Penn’s historic partnership between the Department of Veteran Affairs at both the Coatesville VA Hospital and Brandywine Hospital. On June 27, an MOU was signed by the pair that is the first agreement of its kind to provide health care by a private non-profit to our veterans.

Houlahan, a U.S. Air Force veteran,  anticipates that the public and vets will both be served at Brandywine Hospital.

“I’m ensuring that we won’t be taking care of the veterans without taking care of us,” the congresswoman said.

Houlahan had news of her own and was happy to report that last year’s plans for threatened closure of the Coatesville Veteran’s Hospital were reversed. VA Secretary Denis McDonough visited the Coatesville VA and saw the good work being done.

“It never happened,” Houlahan said. “We fought against it and opened his eyes.”

Houlahan, who serves on the Armed Service and Intelligence committees noted that there is a “real crisis” in mental health services, a specialty the Coatesville VA is known for.

“We need to be supporting not just the veteran community,” Houlahan said.

Duncan dropped another bombshell when he talked about establishing a 72-bed inpatient psychiatric hospital on the  Chester County Hospital campus. Haven,  a specialist in behavioral health care, will run the program and take over the existing building now being renovated.

Duncan expects construction to be completed in September and by November 1—if codes are in compliance with the state–the facility might open.

Kirk Fernitz, Director, Community, Congressional and Public Affairs, talked about the PACT Act which added some 20 presumptive conditions, that expands both eligibility and healthcare benefits for veterans who have been exposed to toxic substances, such as from burn pits, dust storm contamination, Agent Orange and Camp Lejeune water contamination.

Fernitz urged veterans to get their toxic exposure screening and file a claim for a toxic exposure related condition or at least declare their intent to file a claim by August 9, 2023. The benefit of filing now, for a condition that predates the PACT Act, would allow a veteran to receive retroactive pay, backdating their claim to when the PACT Act became law.

Veterans who are not enrolled, are encouraged to enroll, it costs you nothing and takes 15 to 20 minutes to apply for.  Enrollment begins by contacting one of our Eligibility & Enrollment Coordinators at 610-383-0265 or 610-383-0266.

Penn Med & VHA are leading healthcare organizations, and we look forward to the joint effort to expand healthcare services within the local community that will ultimately benefit our Veterans as well, according to Fernitz.

“We are welcoming this partnership and we’re excited to be part of the new venture,” Fernitz said.

With the closing of Jennersville and Brandywine hospitals by Tower Health about 18 months ago, a member of the audience asked Duncan about long wait times at Chester County Hospital.

The CEO said that the closings had created a healthcare “desert” and emergency room visits at Chester County Hospital had jumped from 42,000 to 65,000—a 50 increase,  with wait times drastically cut.

Houlahan said that she has learned as  a congresswoman that letter writing is important in matters such as obtaining a passport in a crisis situation. She saluted her “cracker-jack team” that is ready to open a case for all constituents.

Houlahan was also pleased to announced that $1 million for the City of Coatesville’s Ash Park Master Plan had been secured through Congress’ Community Project Funding Initiative.

Houlahan also noted that helicopter builder Piasecki has taken over after the March 2022 closing of the Sikorsky helicopter plant. Hundreds of good jobs and ancillary businesses in Coatesville will be restored.