Crozer closure: Gov. Shapiro calls for passage of bill to prevent private equity ownership of state healthcare
The Brief
Governor Josh Shapiro joined healthcare workers in Chester nearly two weeks after Crozer Chester Medical Center closed.
He's calling for the passage of the Health System Protection Act. He wants impacted workers and patients to know they have his support.
CHESTER, Pa. - On the heels of the closure of Crozer Health, Governor Josh Shapiro joined together with health care workers in calling on the Pennsylvania state house to pass the Health System Protection Act, in the hope of protecting Pennsylvanians from private equity taking over a health system.
Local perspective
Backers of the now closed Crozer Health System are using the wreckage of the shuttered hospital to press for a bill banning private equity in state healthcare while pushing for criminal charges against the for-profit owners.
An EMT cradled an infant rushed to the shuttered Crozer Hospital by its mother, not breathing. Emergency care is offered, and a cry is heard.
Peggy Malone is the President of the Crozer-Chester Nurses Association. She said, "If that child had died today, the devastation it would have caused the entire family. It's unbearable. It can't happen. It has to stop. Get our ER open, now!"
What they're saying
It happened at the end of a press conference in front of the empty Delaware County hospital with Governor Shapiro and advocates attacking Crozer's private equity-backed owner for the closure and urging reform.
Governor Josh Shapiro said, "I'm done letting private equity wreak havoc on our healthcare system, wreak havoc on our communities." Shapiro, joined by local elected officials and former Crozer workers, came to press for legislation introduced in Harrisburg giving the state Attorney General the power to block the sale of Pa. hospitals to private equity firms.
Dr. Monica Taylor is the Chair of the Delaware County Council. She said, "This is a simple story about greed. Prospect Medical Holdings came to town, bought Crozer, broke our healthcare system and paid themselves hundreds of millions of dollars to do it."
Big picture view
Crozer closed its doors on May 2nd, its companion hospital, Taylor, days earlier, after owner Prospect Medical Holdings declared bankruptcy and efforts to find new owners failed.
Critics are urging Prospect's leadership to be criminally charged for the alleged stripping of the healthcare system. Shapiro is talking accountability. Asked if he supported criminal charges against Prospect executives, Shapiro said, "That is a question for the Attorney General."
As Crozer locked its doors, so did its ER, putting lives, especially gunshot victims, say critics, on the line. Max Cooper is a former Crozer ER doctor. He spoke of one such victim, saying, "Because we were closed, EMS had to transport him 30 minutes away to Lankenau and 20 minutes into that trip his heart stopped, and he died."
The other side
In a statement, Prospect Medical Holdings wrote, "Contrary to the Governor's assertion, at all times, Prospect Medical negotiated and collaborated in good faith with the Commonwealth and other parties to find a viable path that would enable Crozer Health to remain open. This included arranging for Crozer, and all of its assets, to be transferred to any party supported by the Commonwealth for no cash payment free and clear of any claims, as well as keeping Crozer open for as long as possible post-bankruptcy to allow for a local solution to be achieved at the expense of its third-party creditors. The outcome is extremely unfortunate, and we are continuing to work to provide support for our patients and team members."
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