Curry responds to decision to close Delaware County Memorial Hospital

Says it will exacerbate health care inequities

UPPER DARBY, Sept. 23 State Rep. Gina H. Curry, D-Delaware, released the following statement today in response to Crozer Health announcing it will close Delaware County Memorial Hospital in 60 days and reopen it as a behavioral health facility:

“I am extremely disappointed in the decision to close Delaware County Memorial Hospital,” Curry said. “This decision by Crozer will only exacerbate the inequities of those who live in the 164th Legislative District and all of Delaware County.

“This is really unacceptable. Where do we now go for emergency services? They’re not thinking about what’s best for this community and for the people who live in Upper Darby and the surrounding communities.

“I feel that the community was ignored in the decision-making process. It’s very disappointing. This decision will overload the hospitals in the Main Line Health and University of Pennsylvania systems. It means people will have to travel 45-60 minutes to get to a hospital where they can receive care. That’s an unsafe and terrifying prospect. It is also not a viable option for residents who do not have easy access to transportation and now will have to take several buses to get to the closest emergency room. They left us in a desert. They left us in a bad place, and this didn’t have to happen.”

In May, Curry hosted a House Democratic Policy Committee hearing on the maternity desert created through the closure of Delaware County Memorial Hospital’s obstetrics.