While the doors may be closed at Sharon Regional Hospital, the startup company looking to take over is still not out of the picture. 

Tenor Health Partners is still looking to help Sharon Regional reopen its doors. But before taking over operations, the group has a request.

The group is asking the community to come up with $10 million to help them purchase the facility.

“The Tenor Foundation asked for, they were looking for $10 million, which will serve as a match. So, you know, if they got $10 million from the community, they would be able to establish another $10 million as a line of credit and they can put that together for the operation of the hospital,” said Robert Fiscus, city manager of Sharon.

Sharon city council voted Monday night to give funding to the group. Council pledged $500,000. 

Other groups who are looking into pledging funds include the Community Foundation of Western Pennsylvania, County Government, Penn Northwest Economic Development and Buhl Regional Health Foundation. The Buhl Foundation is offering more than five million by itself. 

Still, Fiscus acknowledges concerns, including our recent reporting that they've only run one hospital that closed after only four months. 

“If there is anything that is the most concerning is there's not a long track record and there's not a lot to look at. And we look at their leadership team, and we look at how they presented themselves and the data that they had the ability to present to us,” said Fiscus. “You know we’re cautious and we have to be careful because we recognize that you know, we have responsibilities to be responsible with the public's money.”

Fiscus said from his experience with the group, they seemed the most engaged, and have the best chance of saving the hospital.

Because of the costs of taking over operations, Fiscus  the community needs to help new ownership at the start.

“There's going to be limited revenue coming in, so they're not going to have the ability to bill initially, and to do the things that's going to pay for the services, but they're going to be paying salaries, they're going to pay for the physicians, they're going to be buying supplies and materials,” said Fiscus.

Tenor Health is hoping to run Sharon Regional as a nonprofit. Fiscus said the door is still open to any other groups who are interested in buying Sharon Regional. 

While the city is not a decision maker in the hospital’s operations, they are supporting groups who are willing to help save the hospital.

Fiscus said after Tenor Health presented information to the community groups, they were ready to step up and help.

“We wish there wasn’t, but we recognize that there’s a risk, but at this point, the funders feel confident and were supportive of the Tenor Foundation and taking ownership over the hospital and providing them the operating kind of credit,” said Fiscus.