On Friday evening, the last patient was transferred out of Crozer-Chester Medical Center by Prospect. We got a number of calls from family members and nurses about patients who they were concerned wouldn’t get transferred safely so we kept very close track of those patients with the Department of Health until the last one was transferred on Thursday evening. Last Wednesday the bankruptcy judge in Texas held another hearing but she did not take any actions to hold Prospect accountable. My colleagues and I worked with County Council to get a letter entered into the record before the hearing asking her to require Prospect to pay for ambulance coverage at Crozer-Chester Medical Center for 16 weeks post-closing and do everything within her power during the bankruptcy proceedings to claw back the $40 million which has been invested after Prospect declared bankruptcy in January to prevent a closure. While there was discussion of the ambulance need during the hearing, she did not put any requirements on Prospect. 

Our focus now turns to the employees who have lost their jobs to make sure they get the support they need in seeking employment and getting unemployment and health insurance in the meantime. Delaware County opened a Crozer Transition Center yesterday that will provide help with job searches as well as unemployment compensation guidance and health insurance enrollment. Widener is hosting three virtual job fairs this week and PA CareerLink Delaware County and the County’s Workforce Development team are hosting a Crozer Job and Resource Fair on May 13. 

Prospect is still not communicating well with us so we’re not yet sure when they will put the buildings up for sale, or what happened with the ambulatory surgical centers that they put out to bid. I’ll continue to follow the bankruptcy proceedings in Texas and report back.