As the doors have closed on Crozer Health hospitals, four Advanced Life Support vehicles were placed into action Saturday morning, and a safety training business is offering free CPR classes to the public.
Friday was the last day at Crozer-Chester Medical Center. Taylor Hospital had closed a week earlier. Both were closed after a Texas bankruptcy judge approved Prospect Medical Holdings’ request for an expedited closure after saying they no longer had enough to operate the facilities.
Four ALS vehicles have been activated to bridge the gap left by Crozer Health’s absence. Crozer Health used to provide emergency transport services free of charge to more than 50% of Delaware County. Now these towns are trying to come up with solutions.
“Delaware County’s leaders have been working around the clock to clean the mess left behind by Prospect’s desertion of our communities,” Delaware County Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor said. “This funding will help our municipalities provide emergency service coverage and potentially save lives.”
There is enough funding for about three months of these four ALS vehicles, allowing municipalities time to find a way to provide these services.
The announcement was made by Delaware County, the Delaware County legislative delegation and community partners.
County officials said funding commitments from the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, AmeriHealth Caritas Foundation, and Jefferson Health played a central role in bridging this gap in emergency medical services.
The fund will be held at The Foundation for Delaware County, which is waiving management fees to ensure the full value of the contributions is used to address this critical health issue.
Officials noted that this new funding is a critical lifeline line for Delaware County municipalities, which have been further strained by the actions of Prospect Medical Holdings, which last owned the hospitals.
“Prospect may have turned their back on the community, but the actions of these partners show just how strong and resilient other community allies in Delaware County are,” Taylor said. “I’m incredibly proud that these organizations share the same mission of caring for our neighbors, and I know our municipalities deeply appreciate their support as we help our residents navigate this challenging time. I also want to directly thank our members of the Delaware County delegation for their support as well in securing this crucial lifeline to support our communities.”
CPR classes
In addition, Ridley-based Tri-State Training and Safety Consulting, owned by EMT Kevin Kerns, is offering free CPR classes to the public as a result of the hospital closures. No experience is necessary. However, classes are very limited in size, and registration is required.
The classes will be 9 a.m. and noon on Saturday, May 10; 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 13; 5 p.m., Friday, May 23; 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 27; 1 p.m. Sunday, June 1; 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 3; 11 a.m., Sunday, June 8 and 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 9. They will be held at Tri-State’s office at 228 Ridley Ave. in Folsom. Each class is about two hours.
To sign up, call Tri-State at 866-503-3430 or email them at scheduling@tristatetraining.com.
These classes are free. There is a $10 fee for participants who want an optional certification. People who register for the class are welcome to attend to free without obtaining a certificate.
“We want people who want to take it so they can be prepared if something happens,” said Jessica Fleetwood of Tri-State Training.
Tri-State Training provides CPR, first aid and fire safety training as well as Basic Life Support trainings for health care providers. The company also sells and maintains emergency defibrillators and personal protective equipment.
“Because the hospitals are closing, we feel like its really important to have the public understand how to respond in an emergency,” Fleetwood said, adding that police officers are going to have to be more hands on.
Tri-State wants to help the general public be able to respond if they see something.
“The sooner CPR is started, the better chance of survival the victim has,” Fleetwood said, as the longer a victim waits for treatment, the higher the chance for brain damage or organ failure.
One classes is already full, so Tri-State recommends signing up at 866-503-3430 or at scheduling@tristatetraining.com.
Care options
The Crozer Health Facebook page list the following urgent care centers and closest hospitals for area residents.
Urgent care centers include:
• Everest Urgent Care, 2600 W. Ninth St. Suite E3, Chester, 484-480-4700
• Patient First Urgent Care, 417 Baltimore Pike, Springfield, 484-470-2600
• Main Line Health Urgent Care Concordville, 1020 Baltimore Pike, Suite 100, Concordville, 484-565-1293
• Broomall, 1991 Sproul Road, Suite 130, Broomall, 484-565-1293
• Vybe Urgent Care, 213 Morton Ave., Ridley Park, 610-285-9500
• AFC Urgent Care, Ridley, 2623 E. MacDade Blvd.. Holmes, 267-655-6060
• AFC Urgent Care, Aston, 5024 Pennell Road, Aston, 484-766-3502
• CHOP Pediatric Urgent Care, 819 Baltimore Pike, Glen Mills, 267-425-8500
Emergency departments listed included:
• Riddle Hospital, 1068 W. Baltimore Pike, Media, 484-227-9400
• St. Francis Hospital, 1791 N. Clayton St., Wilmington, Del., 302-421-4333
• Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital, 1500 Lansdowne Ave., Darby, 610-237-4000
• Chester County Hospital, Penn Medicine, 701 E. Marshall St., West Chester, 610-431-5000.
Source: Berkshire mont
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