As two merged Schuylkill County hospitals continue to integrate into one entity and seek to partner with another health care provider, some employees are calling on county commissioners and other elected officials to support them in their quest for greater transparency and more involvement of workers and the community during the process.

Several members of Service Employees International Union Health of Pennsylvania who work at Schuylkill Health attended a public county commissioners meeting Wednesday to voice their concerns."We're concerned, and we have many questions about the future of our health system, how it's going to move forward, and what is it going to look like. Not only when our new partner takes over - and we welcome them 100 percent, but after they come in. What is our health system going to look like?" said Brian Symons, a cook at Schuylkill Health and SEIUH chapter president."Right now, we're being run by an advisory board, a company out of Washington, D.C. Eventually, they're going to leave, and we, the employees and the community, need to have a say in how our hospital is going to be shaped in the future," he said."We want to provide the best care for our patients and to our community," Symons said.Commissioner Chairman George F. Halcovage Jr., who is on the board of the Pottsville Hospital Authority, which helps the hospitals find financing for capital projects, said commissioners share those concerns and goals."I believe there is a bright future for health care in this community. It may look a little different, but I think we have the same goals," Halcovage said.He and Commissioner Gary J. Hess told Symons commissioners would be happy to meet with employees to discuss their concerns. Commissioner Frank J. Staudenmeier was absent."We are very interested in having a good quality health care facility in this community," Halcovage said. "That's our goal, to help move that forward.""I want this to be a win, win, win for everyone," he said.Hess said the hospital "is important to us. You are taking care of our citizens."Good Samaritan Hospital and Pottsville Hospital, both in Pottsville, joined in 2008, becoming Schuylkill Health. The two buildings continue to operate as Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street (the former Pottsville Hospital) and Schuylkill Medical Center-East Norwegian Street (the former Good Samaritan Hospital).Now, Schuylkill Health is integrating the campuses and seeking to enter a partnership with another provider."The hospital board has been in negotiations with several groups to look at some type of affiliation. That's something the hospital is handling," Halcovage said."We are communicating with our employees, and have been very open and transparent in our communications with city officials, county commissioners and local legislators about the changes coming to Schuylkill Health," Schuylkill Health director of marketing and public relations Michael Peckman said.As for the partnership negotiations, he said "we are currently under a nondisclosure agreement" until the time comes for the hospital to make an announcement."We have had meetings with employees, and we've had numerous employee team forums," Peckman said.The meetings included financial reports, campus integration updates, a partnership update, and question-and-answer sessions with the interim Chief Executive Officer Marc H. Lory, he said.The meetings were for "all our employees, including members of the SEIU. The members were at these forums, and asked questions at these forums," Peckman said.He said there have been 32 forums so far, and the hospital has held public board meetings."We're excited about the future of health care in the community and preserving jobs," Peckman said.The hospital a year ago announced plans to integrate the buildings.The plan calls for Schuylkill Health to operate its hospitals under a single license and with a unified medical staff, and combine like services at both campuses."When completed, services such as medical/surgical units, critical care, surgical services and the emergency department will only be at the East Norwegian Street Campus."Geriatric behavioral health will remain at East Norwegian Street for the time being. The South Jackson Street Campus will continue to have adolescent and adult behavioral health services. The Stine Acute Physical Rehabilitation Unit will move to the South Campus."As part of the plan, the maternity unit and the pediatrics department might also move to East Norwegian Street," stated a press release issued by the hospital.Schuylkill Health employs 1,341 people.