Updated: April 9 at 5 p.m.
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The deadline to provide millions in critical operating funds to keep two Delaware County hospitals open has now come and gone — but it isn't clear whether the funds were received.
Lawyers for Prospect Medical Holdings said they needed $9 million by 4 p.m. Wednesday in order to keep Crozer Chester Medical Center and Taylor Hospital open. They said the money would allow the hospitals to operate for another two weeks as they continued negotiations with an anonymous buyer.
The request came Tuesday, when the company which owns Crozer Health returned to a Texas bankruptcy court for a status hearing after weeks of delays.
“We've fought tooth and nail to avoid the closure decision for months and we’re continuing to fight to avoid it but unfortunately we’re just running out of time and money,” said Prospect lawyer William Curtin on Tuesday. “While parties have continued and do continue to talk, there is no resolution.”
There has been talk that a group including Penn Medicine and other organizations would form a nonprofit to buy Crozer but that hasn’t been finalized.
Judge Stacey Jernigan said she was given little information about a potential buyer and where the sale stood, but ordered Prospect and its stakeholders to have a video conference Wednesday at 9 a.m. to try to figure out the short-term funding.
The meeting was not open to the public and when it concluded, the parties involved did not disclose whether or not the funding was secured. Prospect is due back in court Thursday at 4 p.m. to provide an update on either sale or closure.
The Foundation for Delaware County has already given $20 million to keep Crozer open for the last month. The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office and local officials have been working behind the scenes as well.
Peggy Malone, head of Crozer Chester Nurses Association, said there could be fatal consequences if these hospitals do close down.
“The gunshot victim is gonna die because every hospital that’s anywhere near here is too far. The stroke patients, people with heart attacks. We have so many nursing homes in this area. These people are really gonna die trying to get healthcare somewhere else,” Malone said.
“This is about people’s lives, and we have said this all along. And you can close us and begin on Thursday but where are the patients gonna go next week?”