READING PA – Tower Health on Friday (July 24, 2026) said it has begun “an affiliation” with Jefferson Health. The two intend “to collaborate on specialty care and research,” according to The Philadelphia Business Journal.
Tower Health owns hospitals in Reading, Pottstown, and Phoenixville, and jointly operates St. Christopher’s Hospital in Philadelphia with Drexel University. Jefferson Health is the Philadelphia region’s largest health system and owns the Lehigh Valley Health Network, which operates Gilbertsville Hospital.
In his story on the affiliation, Journal Senior Reporter John George cited a Tower Health statement saying the partnership would not change “its leadership, governance and day-to-day operations.” It also “is not a merger or acquisition,” Tower reportedly emphasized.
The partnership represents a “shared commitment to expanding access to high-quality care close to home and improving the health of the communities we serve,” the statement added.
The next step, Tower Health says, includes work by both systems to “strengthen clinical programs, increase access to advanced specialty care, invest in innovation, and create new opportunities for research and education.”
Top photo by Travels With The Post
Hospitals’ Services Changed
Tower Health has been under financial pressure over a period of several years. Its results for fiscal 2026, which ended June 30, have not yet been made public.
Last November, Tower Health announced substantial service changes at both Pottstown and Phoenixville hospitals that prompted employee and public ire.
Earlier this month, the company said it also standardized operating hours for all its Tower Health Urgent Care locations, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Some previously operated on different schedules.
In a separate statement cited by The Journal, Jefferson said “it routinely works with health systems and clinical organizations across the region to expand access to specialty and subspecialty care. George’s story also noted that Tower Health during 2021 explored a “strategic alliance” for patient care with Penn Medicine; was mutually ended in 2023.
Above photo by Travels With The Post
Our local news reporting includes Healthy Living articles about healthcare, wellness, medical providers, and medical services within, or that affect residents of, Montgomery, Berks, and Chester PA counties. Find more health-related articles here. Also, see and follow the Pottstown Health page on Facebook.
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