Crozer-Checking Medical Center and Taylor Hospital in the county of Delaware, Pennsylvania, close After months of uncertainty, according to Prospect Medical Holdings, the parent company of Crozer Health.
A federal bankruptcy judge in Texas authorized the prospect plan to close the Crozer-Check medical center, Taylor Hospital and an unpertured number of ambulatory facilities and practices in the county of Delaware.
“The road in front of us is now clear with what we have to do,” said Judge Stacey Jernigan at the hearing on Tuesday. “I just hate the consequences widespread here. I lose sleep in this case. Unfortunately, it seems that the only option that is entered is the closure.”
Thousands of employees working for Crozer Health received emails on Monday morning indicating that the system will close despite efforts to find a buyer to assume ownership of the Crozer health system.
When is the closure of Crozer’s health hospitals?
Prospect Medical Holdings filed a request on Monday Close And the ambulatory installations of the United States bankruptcy court in northern Texas. The California -based prospect expects the complete closure of hospitals to be completed within 30 days.
Prospect said he had made “the extremely difficult decision to start reducing operations” in Crozer Health. E-mails notifying thousands of layoff employees were sent in accordance with the 1988 law on the notification of adjustments and the recycling of workers.
The Warn law is a federal law which obliges any employer to 100 or more employees to inform employees, unions and local government officials before any mass closure or layoff.
According to the request filed in court, patients will start to be diverted from the emergency department from 8 am on Wednesday, and hospitals will stop hospital admission.
A spokesperson said that the Briton Lake, Broomall, Haverford and Media will be open.
“PMH recognizes the impact that this action will have on patients as well as team members. We have worked tirelessly with the Pennsylvania general prosecutor and other parties to prevent this result,” a prospect spokesman said. “Unfortunately, we have not been able to reach a viable alternative. At present, Crozer Health’s emphasis remains on the transition transition transparently to other health establishments so that they can continue to receive critical and uninterrupted care they need and support the members of the Crozer health team when they seek to identify other job opportunities.”
A federal bankruptcy judge approved the prospect plan to close the health system on Tuesday.
Prospect closed two other hospitals, Commemorative Hospital of the county of Delaware And Springfield Hospitalin 2022.
What’s going on now?
The news on Monday occurs after months of state representatives and regional health systems in the region who are fighting to prevent the closure of Crozer Health. Pennsylvania state senator Tim Kearney said that the Commonwealth, the county and the Foundation for the county of Delaware spent 40 million dollars to keep the Crozer-Check Medical Center in Upland and Taylor Hospital in Ridley Park Open, but there is no money left.
Nearby hospitals like the Christianacare Wilmington hospital in Delaware, the Riddle Hospital in Media and Le Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in University City are preparing to absorb Crozer Health patients.
“The health of the main line is ready to take care of patients affected by the closing of Crozer’s health announced,” said a main health spokesperson in a statement, adding that the health system awaits prospect closure plans.
In a statement, a Penn Medicine spokesperson said Prospect rejected an offer of $ 5 million last week to support Crozer Health and buy “certain assets associated with Broomall and Briton Lake ambulatory installations”.
“Our offer also included the transfer of leases for these installations,” said the press release. “This plan would have allowed uninterrupted operations so that patients receive both primary care and care by specialists, including oncologists, cardiologists and orthopedies, while retaining doctors, nurses and staff, and ensured thousands of meetings already scheduled could take place.
“We are deeply disappointed with this decision, which will have negative impacts for patients and move many talented health professionals at a time when health care needs in the community only increase the doors are open to patients and dedicated employees of Crozer, and our health system remains involved in the community of county of Delaware and to work alongside local suppliers, Politicians to preserve health care in the region. “
Kearney said prospect’s decision to close Crozer Health is a “devastating and shameful blow for our communities, our health workers and all the patients who have ever relied on our local hospital system”.
“The prospect firmly firm Crozer Health after state officials and premises, regional health systems and philanthropic partners have exhausted their capacities and financial resources to recover the hospital system,” Kearney said in a statement. “Again, Prospect has decided to put profits on patients by putting the assets of Crozer at auction.”
After prospect’s announcement, the county of Delaware declared an emergency of seven -day disaster To help provide immediate support to those affected in the county.
“The county of Delaware is also in the process of placing an objection to the motion of closure of prospect, which is deeply inadequate and does not respect local law,” the county wrote in a press release.
Last week, Ridley Park said an emergency in case of closure.
With the closure of Crozer Health, the county of Delaware will only have two emergency rooms for the 576,000 people who call the county hospital: Riddle in the canton of Middletown and the Mercy-Fitzgerald Hospital in Darby.
“Where are they going?”
Peggy Malone, the president of the Crozer-Chez Nurses Association, described the closure of the two “Fausouflé” hospitals, echoing the feeling that many others shared with CBS News Philadelphia on Monday. Many believe that the closure will be devastating, health workers losing their jobs and patients having to travel further to receive critical health care.
“It makes us so angry and so sick for our stomachs that nothing changes today,” said Malone. “Where do these people go?
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro directly blamed the prospect of closing the Crozer health system, saying that the decision was the result of “greed and mismanagement”.
“The prospect has provoked this crisis, and they must be held responsible for their reckless actions that have led to today’s announcement,” said Shapiro in a statement. “Their conduct and mismanagement must be fully examined in the legal process of bankruptcy to take them into account the law under the law, and we must make sure that this is not happening again by adopting legislation to withdraw the investment capital of the health care business in Pennsylvania, as I proposed in my budgetary address earlier this year.”
Pennsylvania’s prosecutor’s office said that he was “deeply disappointed” by prospect’s decision.
“With the Governor’s office and other state leaders and premises, we have worked tirelessly to avoid this result. Unfortunately, the damage inflicted by Leonard Green & Partners – the owners of prospect capital -investment – who prioritize their own wealth on the well -being of a community, was too much to overcome,” said the prosecutor’s office in a declaration.
“Crozer’s heroic staff, who continued to provide superior quality care and services throughout this process, deserved a better result. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts in our office, this resolution turned out to be out of reach,” the statement continued. “We will continue to follow the process of bankruptcy to continue the financial allegations of the Commonwealth to the greatest possible extent in order to hold the prospects responsible for the actions which caused this closure.”
Call center for people affected by the closure of Crozer health
Prospect has created a dedicated call center to manage requests for the hospital transition, including requests for transfers and patient care. The email address is crroerpainquiries@omniagnnt.com, and the telephone number is: 888-801-2338.
Delco residents are encouraged to request additional assistance through the wellness line of the Deputé du Deraware department at 484-276-2100.
The closure of the Crozer health system will have an impact on neighboring companies
Companies like Dolan’s Bar in Ridley Park see a significant increase in the business of employees at Taylor Hospital on Chester Pike.
In March, CBS News Philadelphia reported That the potential closure of the health system was “trying” for neighboring companies.
PJ DOLAN, the owner of the DOLAN bar, said that staff members frequently visit his business and that the closure will have a community training effect.
“It’s sad and it’s horrible for the city,” said Dolan. “The problem is that companies do not think of anyone in the community, and everything they can think of is the lower dollar.”