DELAWARE COUNTY (KYW Newsradio) — Delaware County Councilmembers passed an emergency ordinance Wednesday night requiring medical centers in the county to give notice and a plan well in advance of anticipated closures.
Hospitals and long-term care facilities must now give 180 days notice to the county on a decision to close either all or most of the units or certain “significant impact units,” including emergency departments, ambulance services and labor and delivery units.
In addition, the new ordinance requires the health care facility to provide a closure plan —120 days in advance.
Over the past few months Crozer Health in Delaware County has been consistently shedding programs and with very little warning, causing the county to scramble and find other providers.
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This has not been easy on the county, according to Delaware County Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor.
“We are clearly in an emergency situation,” Taylor said. “And council is actively and aggressively trying to resolve the problem and we are in conversations with Crozer and Prospect Crozer trying to figure out if there is more funding needed for specific programs … which programs there are … but we need time.”