PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Crozer-Chester Medical Center, which had been serving Upland Borough and surrounding communities in Delaware County for generations, closed Friday morning, marking the end of a month-long struggle to keep Crozer and Taylor Hospital in Ridley Park open as their parent company advances through the bankruptcy process.
It was a quiet morning at Crozer. The parking garages and lots on the property were fairly empty, and staffers, like Dr. Koppula, gathered for final farewells, hugs and pictures.
“This is definitely an emotional moment for everybody. What we have been seeing for the past four months — we’ve been struggling a lot. We were all hoping that we would be brought out and we could continue our work relationships that we have here,” Koppula said.
He said this might be the end for the hospital, but he wants to continue his work in the area.
“It’s very hard for us to let it go, but I think we’ll be around in this community to keep serving them.”
Crozer's emergency department closed on Wednesday, indicated by flashing signs at the entrances. But ambulances will be stationed at the ER through Wednesday to take patients to another hospital.
Crozer’s closure happened a week after Taylor Hospital ceased operations. Both are owned by private equity firm Prospect Medical Holdings, which has been going through bankruptcy since filing in January.
Prospect announced the imminent closure of the hospitals on April 21 after local and state officials, community members and health care workers spent weeks trying to save the hospitals.
The company had received tens of millions of dollars from the commonwealth, county, and nonprofit Foundation for Delaware County since March to stay afloat and secure a new owner. But Prospect said it could not reach a deal, and it had run out of options to keep the hospitals open.
Officials and Crozer employees have been sounding alarms about the impact the hospital closures would have on the community, especially during emergencies for residents. Those who would normally rely on Crozer for heart attacks, strokes, or other serious conditions would have to be taken to facilities that are farther away. That could lead to dire outcomes for patients, advocates warned.
Now, only two hospitals remain in Delaware County: Mercy Fitzgerald in Darby and Riddle in Media. Crozer patients have been scrambling to get their medical records and find other doctors to go to.
The closures led to 2,600 health care workers losing their jobs. Some resources are available for them. A Crozer transition and PA CareerLink center opens Monday, May 5, in Chester. There will also be a large job/resource fair at Subaru Park in Chester on May 13.