Jul 18, 2013 3 min read

The state Supreme Court has granted a temporary injunction halting the state Department of Health from continuing with a plan to close state health centers in 26 counties, including the center in Greene County.

The court decision, issued Wednesday, blocks the department from further action on closing the centers until a full hearing is held by the Supreme Court on the injunction request.

SEIU Healthcare, which represents community health nurses, filed a lawsuit in April in Commonwealth Court claiming the state could not implement its plan to close 26 of the 60 state health centers without the legislature’s approval.

The union maintains closing the centers will result in a reduction in health care services particularly in rural counties.

The union’s request for an injunction to halt implementation of the plan while the litigation proceeded was earlier denied by Commonwealth Court.

SEIU appealed the injunction decision to the Supreme Court, which now must determine whether a permanent injunction should be issued while litigation on the merits of SEIU’s lawsuit continue before Commonwealth Court.

“We are thrilled by the judgment of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in deciding to grant temporary injunction against the closure of our state health centers,” said Joe Donahue, a school nurse consultant whose position was eliminated in May.

“Although we are still waiting for the full implications of the court’s ruling, this decision marks an important step towards protecting public health and ensuring community access,” he said.

The department maintains its plan to merge the 26 centers with those in adjoining counties will allow health center nurses to spend more time providing services in the community rather than making clients come to them at the centers.

The state has already closed health centers in Mifflin, Beaver and Carbon counties and eliminated 18 nursing positions, according to the SEIU. The Supreme Court’s ruling would require the state to reopen those health centers and reinstate the eliminated nurse positions pending appeal, it said.

In an email statement, Aimee Tysarczyk, department press secretary, said the Supreme Court’s order included no details so the department is waiting for further guidance regarding its scope.

“That said, we will continue to fully defend our case. We believe this modernization plan allows the department to improve and expand services, especially to the underserved and underinsured citizens of Pennsylvania,” she said.

Tysarczyk said last month that the department couldn’t say when the Greene County center would close. Under the plan, the center on Oakview Drive in Franklin Township, which is staffed by one nurse and a secretary, is to be consolidated with the Washington County health center.