Page 26 - Chester County Chamber - 2023 Guide & Membership Directory

HEALTHCARE
WORKING TO
CLOSE THE GAP
PAOLI HOSPITAL
Paoli Hospital, part of the Main Line Health system, is one of the entities that stepped in to serve former Tower Health patients in need of care.
“We’ve seen an increase in patients, and we’ve responded on two levels: one is increasing staff and the other is expanding our space,” Paradis said. The hospital has gone on what he terms
a “hiring binge” since the hospital closures, increasing its staff by 11% over the past year. In terms of space, the hospital opened a new 18-bed unit in the fall of 2022 and is planning to add another, similarly sized unit in the spring of 2024.
“For the emergency department, we’re adding eight patient rooms and a triage room, so that’s nine more treatment spaces in what started as a 28-bed ER,” Paradis said. “It’s a significant capacity increase.”
Paradis noted that the hospital closures didn’t just leave patients with fewer acute care options, but also pulled community providers out of the area. “So we’ve continued to invest in adding providers to our physician practices, primarily in primary care, cardiology and oncology.”
Overall, Paradis said, Paoli Hospital considers itself a true “community hospital” that changes and grows alongside the community it serves. For example, as Paoli and surrounding towns age, the hospital has focused on education programs in fall prevention. Another notable recent addition is the hospital’s neuro-intervention program for stroke victims.
For stroke victims arriving in the ER, providers at the hospital can now conduct a thrombectomy — a procedure that’s similar to cardiac catheterization, but happens in your brain, Paradis said. “First we do a CAT scan to determine if the patient is bleeding or has a clot. Then we can go in with a metal coil that’s just a little thicker than a human hair, pull out the clot and immediately restore blood flow. We’re preventing death and preventing disability.” Previously, the closest hospital offering this procedure was Bryn Mawr Hospital, also part of Main Line Health.
In working at Paoli Hospital, “I’ve been struck with the level of engagement in the Chester County community,” Paradis said. “I’m always impressed by how thoughtful and committed local leaders are, from elected officials to nonprofits. It’s a community that’s welcoming and devoted to addressing residents’ needs. That doesn’t happen everywhere.”
»“I’VE BEEN STRUCK
WITH THE LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT IN THE CHESTER COUNTY COMMUNITY.
I'M ALWAYS IMPRESSED BY HOW THOUGHTFUL AND COMMITTED LOCAL LEADERS ARE, FROM ELECTED OFFICIALS TO NONPROFITS.”
— Jim Paradis
Paoli Hospital
When Tower Health shuttered two of its hospitals — Brandywine Hospital and Jennersville Hospital — in the winter of 2021/22, local residents were faced with a challenging shortage of providers.
But since then, other providers in Chester County have stepped up to provide for patients, both with new facilities currently under construction and with expansions at existing facilities.
“This is still an area with strong healthcare providers,” said Jim Paradis, President of Paoli Hospital. “We have several healthcare systems that are committed to this community and invested in caring for it.”
Read on to learn how the Chester County healthcare community came together to ensure local residents will continue to receive high- quality care.
24 Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry