Fine Prospect $100K A Day During Delco Memorial Hospital Closure: AG

DREXEL HILL, PA — Pennsylvania's top prosecutor wants the owner of Delaware County Memorial Hospital to be fined daily during its closure.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced his office filed a petition asking a judge to hold Prospect Medical Holdings in contempt of court and to fine them $100,000 a day while the facility is closed.

"While we are aware of today’s statement and petition, it is worth noting that we remain under the directive of a Department of Health order," Crozer said in a statement. "The order required emergency room services be suspended and new admissions be discontinued at Delaware County Memorial Hospital. Violating this order comes with its own penalties. Given these facts, we continue to comply with the DOH’s order and disagree with contentions of the petition mentioned in today’s statement."

Additionally, Shapiro's office is seeking back fines for each day the facility has been closed, dating back to Nov. 7.

The Foundation for Delaware County has joined the AG's office in the filing.

The facility closed last week following an order by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

Officials cited "serious violations" of state health regulations in the decision to suspend operations at the facility.

According to Shapiro's office, the facility failed to adequately staff its diagnostic imaging coverage.

According to the filing, Prospect Crozer violated two court orders in October and November regarding staffing levels at Delaware County Memorial Hospital.

"Every Pennsylvanian deserves access to healthcare," Shapiro said. "My office will use every tool available to us to continue to ensure the people of Delaware County have access to the care they need. The order provided by the Department of Health requires that DCMH close their emergency room doors until staffing issues are resolved. Prospect’s failure to resolve its staffing shortages violates the injunction that the trial court imposed to maintain the hospital’s service lines and Prospect cannot be permitted to forgo resolving the Department of Health’s order to avoid meeting the staffing demands of the trial court order."

"The original order of the court was clear; keep DCMH open," a joint statement by the Foundation for Delaware County and Delaware County Council said. "The action of Prospect Crozer to seek to circumvent this order, by failing to properly staff the hospital is shameful, and consistent with its recent actions, which put private profit as the singular focus of its operations, without regard to contractual commitments, or considerations of the health and safety of residents of Delaware County."

Patch has reached out to Prospect Crozer for comment.