Prospect Medical Holdings, the owner of Crozer Health, will announce the closure of Crozer-Chester Medical Center and Taylor Hospital in Delaware County. The ambulatory surgery and imaging centers located in Brinton Lake, Broomall, Haverford, and Media will remain operational, pending a new operator. The closure process will begin immediately, with emergency departments going on divert starting Wednesday morning. Patients expected to stay more than five days at Crozer-Chester will be transferred, while those with shorter stays can remain until discharged. At Taylor Hospital, patients expected to stay more than two days will be transferred to Crozer-Chester, and others will be discharged home. This decision leaves many residents without easy access to healthcare services. Delaware County will issue an emergency declaration to address the situation. The closure has been expected for some time, but poor communication from Prospect hampered preparation efforts. More than a dozen municipalities depend on Crozer for EMS services, which will need to be restructured. Funding from various sources totaling $46 million kept the system operational under FTI Consulting’s oversight. Efforts to transition Crozer to nonprofit ownership have stalled due to unresolved liability terms.
— new from Inquirer.com
