Upland, Pa.-based Crozer Health will end surgical services at Taylor Hospital in Ridley Park, Pa., by Sept. 1, according to WHYY.
The 107-bed community hospital offers general and specialty surgical services. In recent months, the hospital has reported an average of three to four surgical cases per day, while also seeing a reduction in general surgeons, according to Crozer CEO Tony Esposito.
"There is need to optimize resources and consolidate surgical operative services to the other Crozer Health locations that provide operative care," he said in an Aug. 13 statement to Becker's. "This strategic decision follows a thorough evaluation of the surgical case volumes and staffing changes. This decision has been made with careful consideration and planning, and in consultation with key stakeholders, leaders and the surgeons currently operating at Taylor Hospital."
The transition is expected to occur over the next few weeks. Taylor hospital will continue to offer inpatient care, including surgical consults and emergency services, Mr. Esposito said. The hospital sees more than 7,000 admissions and 28,000 emergency department visits annually, according to its website.
The news comes just four days after Crozer's for-profit owner, Prospect Medical Holdings, signed a letter of intent to sell the four-hospital system to CHA Partners. In the proposed deal, CHA would return the hospitals to nonprofit status.
"We believe this is a positive step for our physicians, employees and the communities we serve, and will help secure Crozer Health's future as a critical healthcare provider in Delaware County," Mr. Esposito said in a statement Becker's last week.
Crozer-Chester Medical Center, the system's flagship hospital, is about 3.5 miles from Taylor Hospital and still offers surgical care.
In June, the medical center lost its bid to maintain accreditation for its general surgery residency program. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education withdrew accreditation in January after receiving an anonymous report that surgical volumes were insufficient for residents' training needs. Mr. Esposito said the system was actively recruiting clinicians to ensure care quality and does not anticipate any service interruptions as a result of the council's decision in a June statement to Becker's.
Editor's note: This article was updated Aug. 13 at 2:47 p.m. to include additional information from Crozer.