Released: May 9, 2025
Staff, Council highlight months-long emergency planning, community partnerships, and urgent next steps
Delaware County, PA — In the wake of the abrupt closure of Crozer-Chester Medical Center and Taylor Hospital, Delaware County Council and senior staff on Wednesday night presented a sweeping overview of the County’s coordinated response—framing the crisis as both a local emergency and a national policy failure driven by private equity mismanagement.
Coming just hours after a blistering presentation from the Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP), the County team delivered a comprehensive look at how leaders have mobilized departments, emergency services, healthcare providers, and workforce partners to mitigate harm and begin rebuilding.
Barbara O’Malley, Executive Director of Delaware County, opened the presentation with a detailed timeline of events dating back to 2016, when Prospect Medical Holdings acquired four hospitals in Delaware County. Despite a ten-year agreement to maintain acute care services, Prospect closed Delaware County Memorial and Springfield Hospitals within six years—and declared bankruptcy in January 2025.
“This is not a situation we should be in,” said O’Malley. “The mismanagement of this system—and the resources that were taken from it for the profit of others—have devastated a community and we have impacts countywide.”
O’Malley explained how the County spent months preparing emergency contingency plans, convening cross-departmental teams focused on EMS, public health, workforce transition, behavioral health, and communications. When the closures were announced in late April, the County declared a state of emergency and activated its Emergency Operations Center.
“The work continues,” O’Malley added. “We are committed to restoring healthcare access and minimizing the harm caused by this crisis.”
Delaware County Health Director Lora Werner reiterated the County’s commitment to public health, even without regulatory authority. “While the authority to regulate hospitals lies with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, we are deeply passionate and remain fully committed to protecting public health,” said Werner. “It is our responsibility to conduct surveillance of public health indicators, facilitate connections to partners, and promote health.”
Werner detailed efforts to help residents navigate a rapidly shifting landscape, including the closure of most Crozer outpatient practices. Some, like Brinton Lake, Broomall, Haverford, Media, and the Center for Family Health in Springfield, remain open pending auction. Urgent care providers like Everest and Vybe are stepping in to assist with short-term needs, including prescription renewals. The County also continues to meet monthly with regional healthcare providers to ensure coordination.
To help residents stay informed, the County launched a dedicated website at DelcoPA.gov/Prospect, which includes an up-to-date directory of healthcare options, job support services, and FAQs. The site complements near-daily social media posts, coordinated press releases, DES-managed Delco Alerts, and rapid response meetings with displaced Crozer employees. A new Crozer Transition Center in Chester provides in-person help with unemployment compensation, health insurance enrollment, resume building, and job coaching. The County will also host a Job and Resource Fair on May 13 at Subaru Park in Chester, featuring more than 220 employers.
“We usually support 10,000 to 12,000 unemployed residents at any given time,” said Kate McGeever, Director of Workforce Development. “But the Crozer closures alone are expected to impact more than 3,200 workers. This is a massive disruption—and our response reflects that.”
Council Member Elaine Paul Schaefer praised the County team for their transparency and rapid action. “To the many County employees and partners who presented tonight—thank you. Your work matters. Your commitment matters. And the people of Delaware County are safer, healthier, and more supported because of you,” she said. “We are recovering. We are rebuilding. And we are recommitting to a healthcare system that puts patients and communities first.”
Council Vice Chair Richard Womack emphasized the impact on working families. “It’s a sad situation, but I commend the Crozer workers for staying until the end. They didn’t give up—and neither will we,” he said. “This doesn’t just affect one group. It affects the entire County.”
Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor highlighted the long-term consequences of Prospect’s financial maneuvers. “Many people wonder if the hospitals could’ve been saved,” she said. “But the truth is, the weight of Prospect’s liabilities hung over those negotiations like a boulder. This was never about a lack of effort—it was about the toxic debt and asset-stripping that private equity left behind.”
Still, Taylor offered a hopeful vision. “There is a better future past Prospect,” she said. “It involves the dedicated healthcare workers who fought for their patients through this entire crisis—and it will be a future we shape, together.”
From expanded EMS coverage to behavioral health support and sustained public engagement, Delaware County leaders made one message clear: they are not standing still.
“This happened here. It’s happened elsewhere. It doesn’t have to happen again,” said Dr. Taylor. “Private equity must be stopped before it tears apart the fabric of our economy—and we have a lot of work ahead to repair what’s been done.”