Neighbor to Neighbor: Main Line Health steps up for Delaware County

Neighbor to Neighbor is a series highlighting how Main Line Health stepped up to ensure uninterrupted care for the Delaware County community in the wake of the Crozer Health closure while also welcoming many displaced Crozer employees as they continue their careers in healthcare.

When Crozer Health announced it would be closing its doors, it left the Delaware County community wondering where they would go to receive care. Not only were patients displaced, but the skilled healthcare workers who took care of them as well.

In the face of that challenge, Main Line Health stepped up to ensure uninterrupted access to safe, high-quality, equitable and affordable care.

“It was never a question of if we would respond,” said Shelly Buck, DNP, MBA, President of Riddle Hospital. “It was a question of how. We recognized immediately that our neighbors needed us, and that’s a responsibility we took very seriously.”

In the months and years leading up to the closure, Main Line Health proactively took steps to prepare for a shift in patient volume. Main Line Health expanded services, strengthened partnerships, adjusted facilities plans and welcomed both patients and colleagues into our System.

Over the years, Main Line Health has navigated other hospital closures in the region, but the additional patient volume would be a significant challenge for Riddle Hospital — the closest campus to Crozer — and the System and its hospitals and outpatient facilities, all of which consistently have been at or above capacity.

“Our colleagues and medical staff did a tremendous job preparing for this unfortunate turn of events,” said Barbara Wadsworth, DNP, RN, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Main Line Health.

Expanding access to OB/GYN and Women’s Health Services

One of the most urgent needs was access to obstetric and gynecologic care. Main Line Health hired seven OB/GYN from Crozer physicians. The System also added resources to meet the growing demand, including providing support for a significant increase in babies born especially at Riddle Hospital, where teams came together to ensure every patient received exceptional care.

“We knew we needed to respond not just with speed, but with quality,” Shelly said. “Every decision was made with patients at the center.”

Main Line Health recently welcomed 10 new Women’s Health clinicians, including physicians, a urogynecologist, gynecologic oncology physician, a physician specializing in osteoporosis and a midwife to further strengthen our commitment to comprehensive care for women at every stage of life.

Welcoming more patients to our System

The increase in patient volume required careful and thoughtful coordination across the System, particularly through Main Line HealthCare. Main Line Health established a dedicated phone number and website to assist patients in transferring and scheduling their care.

Primary care and specialty practices are scheduled to see more than 10,000 new patient appointments for those previously being cared for by Crozer. To date, MLHC has seen 2,478 patients with 7,522 scheduled for future appointments.

“Our team has done an extraordinary job,” said Don Klingen, President of Main Line HealthCare. “They’ve welcomed patients with compassion, onboarded new clinicians efficiently and ensured continuity of care at every level.”

Specialty care services such as OB/GYN continue to work on increasing access by adding more physicians and expanding schedules to accommodate the growth in volume.

Investing in the future of community health

The commitment to long-term, sustainable care also includes the addition of infectious disease specialists and the creation of a new Psychiatric Residency Program, an initiative designed to grow the pipeline of behavioral health professionals and ensure local access to care for years to come.

In addition, Main Line Health has increased emergency response support in the region through Riddle EMS, working closely with local agencies to provide coverage and ensure no community is left without critical, time-sensitive care. Riddle EMS continues to participate in county planning meetings to redesign the regional response to basic life support and advanced life support calls.

And we haven’t just welcomed new patients. We’ve also opened the door for new colleagues. Many of the talented employees affected by the closure have found new roles within the System.

“The skills, compassion and experience that they cultivated at Crozer are being used to continue supporting the Delaware County community,” Barbara said.

Over the past several months, Main Line Health has welcomed 162 colleagues — both clinical and non-clinical staff — from Crozer.

Job Family	Total Added
Corporate	1
Laboratory	3
Nursing	63
Pharmacy	6
Radiology	22
Therapy	9
Clinical Support	20
Support Services	6
Maintenance	1
Leadership	3
Admin Support	6
APP	6
Physician	16

Looking ahead to strengthen healthcare access in Delaware County

As we look to the future, Main Line Health's focus remains on delivering safe, high-quality, equitable and affordable care to our patients and the communities we serve. The System is building stronger relationships with patients, investing in our workforce and ensuring that every person who comes through our doors receives the care they deserve.

“I’m incredibly proud of how our teams came together to meet this moment,” Shelly said. “We didn’t just fill a gap. We reaffirmed our role as a trusted anchor for this community.”

The System is proud of the progress achieved in ensuring uninterrupted care for Delaware County and remains focused on continuing to support our patients, our colleagues and the communities we serve.