Crozer Health plans to turn the closed Springfield Hospital emergency department and medical center into a micro-hospital, writes John George for Philadelphia Business Journal.

The hospital on Sproul Road is licensed for 38 beds, but for the last two years, it has been used only for outpatient care.

The plan calls for a 10-bed inpatient hospital with a fully staffed emergency department, laboratory, and imaging services.  

Crozer closed the hospital in January 2022 during staff shortages related to the COVID-19 omicron variant outbreak. 

At one point, an ambulatory surgery center inside Springfield Hospital was studied, but that turned out to be cost-prohibitive, said Crozer Health CEO  Anthony Esposito.

Now, the health system is considering a surgery center on the vacant third floor of a medical office building next door instead.

This is the second micro-hospital proposal in Delaware County. ChristianaCare out of Delaware announced it would build two 10-bed “neighborhood” hospitals here in partnership with Emerus Holdings. 

Under a court order, Crozer Health has 270 days to find a nonprofit buyer.

Esposito said multiple health systems, locally and nationally, have since shown interest

“I was encouraged because there has been more local interest than I thought there would be,” Esposito said.

Find out more about Crozer Health’s financial situation in the Philadelphia Business Journal.