As people in Shenango Valley wait for State Health Department approval to reopen Sharon Regional Medical Center, Pennsylvania Senator Michele Brooks, R-Erie, has announced plans to introduce legislation to create an independent dispute resolution process for contested hospital inspection findings.

According to a memo circulated to Senate members, Brooks said the legislation addresses disputes between hospitals and the state Department of Health over cited deficiencies, which she argues can lead to unnecessary costs, delays, and closures.

"Hospital closures have become a statewide problem, and in some cases, noncritical survey findings have become the deciding factor in whether a facility can reopen—even when similar deficiencies are routinely allowed to be corrected while a facility remains open," Brooks wrote in the memo.

The proposal comes amid ongoing discussions about the reopening of Sharon Regional Hospital, which closed in January under previous ownership and is now under the Tenor Health Foundation.

Brooks has questioned the Department of Health’s approach to the reopening, arguing that closed hospitals face stricter requirements than those that remain open.

During a Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing last month, Brooks pressed Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen on the issue, citing concerns that residents are crossing state lines to Ohio for healthcare.

Bogen responded that the department is focused on ensuring patient safety and has provided flexibility within legal limits. "We are not in a position to negotiate patient safety," Bogen said at the hearing, adding that the department had categorized issues, requiring only those related to safety to be fixed before reopening.

Brooks countered, "I don't think anyone is asking to negotiate patient safety. I think perhaps there are things that could be more flexible."

Brooks’ proposed legislation would establish an independent fact-finding process for hospitals to appeal contested findings, building on existing dispute resolution processes for long-term care facilities in Pennsylvania. She argues this would balance enforcing safety standards with preventing unnecessary barriers to healthcare access, particularly in underserved areas.

 Brooks, who chairs the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, said the independent review process would provide fair, timely, and binding resolutions.