A Scranton, PA ER crisis is worsening as hospital resources shrink, and Mayor Paige Cognetti’s (D) zoning decisions are under scrutiny. In 2023, Geisinger Community Medical Center, one of only two emergency rooms in Scranton, sought to expand its facilities after doctors were forced to treat patients in “closets” and “bathrooms.” The hospital warned that without more space, as many as 10 patients a day would be forced elsewhere.
Cognetti initially acknowledged the risks, saying, “We cannot be in a position where we are deterring or blocking health care providers from effectively running their operations. That runs counter to our long-term goals and, most importantly, against the best interests of our residents and their health.” Yet when residents raised concerns over a proposed parking structure, Scranton’s city council voted to slash the maximum building height, making the project unworkable. Cognetti supported and signed the restrictive plan, calling it proof of “what a public process is supposed to be.”
As a result, Geisinger shelved the project in 2024, saying the ordinance was “a setback to our growth plans for Geisinger Community Medical Center.” Today, with two other Scranton hospitals up for sale, concerns are mounting about the city’s already strained medical system.
Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan highlighted the stakes: “[W]e have 33,000 emergency room visits a year, with 1,800 NICU births that take place right just in Lackawanna County. So we want to make sure that there’s a continuity of care in Northeastern Pennsylvania because of our location. We have to make sure that we’re taking care of our own people.”
