ChristianaCare plans to open 2 ‘neighborhood hospitals’ in Delco in 2025

From Delco to Chesco and Montco to Bucks, what about life in Philly’s suburbs do you want WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

ChristianaCare plans to build two ‘micro-hospitals’ in Delaware County in 2025, the Wilmington-based healthcare system announced Tuesday morning.

In partnership with Emerus Holdings Inc., ChristianaCare’s ongoing expansion into southeastern Pennsylvania aligns its new aspirations with its previously announced mission to reopen Jennersville Hospital in West Grove as a micro-hospital, also referred to as a “neighborhood hospital.”

“We are excited to bring this new model of care to our neighbors in Delaware County,” wrote Dr. Janice Nevin, president and CEO of ChristianaCare in a statement announcing the move  Tuesday. “ChristianaCare is reimagining healthcare with a focus on delivering the right care, in the right place and time, with the right health care team involved for every patient.”

Each neighborhood hospital will operate as a 24/7 operation with approximately 10 inpatient beds and an emergency department, according to the release.

The departments will have the capacity to handle “common emergency care needs,” including heart attacks and strokes, as well as provide diagnostic capabilities.

“Neighborhood hospitals will enable us to provide access to high-quality care in a way that is sustainable and right-sized to meet the needs of local communities,” Nevin said. “Our goal is to make access to health care easy and convenient for our Delco and Chester County neighbors,”

The West Grove Campus is expected to open first. The company has not decided on the locations of the two Delaware County micro-hospitals.

With the future of Crozer Health, the struggling four-hospital system in Delco, up in the air, much of the county is at risk of transforming into a hospital desert.

Both Delaware and Chester counties have seen several key hospital closures over the past two years. In 2022, Delaware County Memorial Hospital in Upper Darby closed, after serving the community since 1927. Tower Health closed Jennersville Hospital in 2021 and Coatesville’s Brandywine Hospital in 2022.

ChristianaCare had previously expected to acquire Crozer in 2022, but backed out of the deal.

The hospital system’s new plan to expand into Delaware County brings its interest full circle. ChristianaCare’s foray into the micro-hospital model is not unique. The concept of a neighborhood hospital is a growing trend across the country.