A Heartfelt Thank You from CEO Tony Esposito

On Thursday evening, December 26th, we faced a challenging emergency at Crozer-Chester Medical Center and I extend my deepest gratitude to everyone involved in the response.

First and foremost, thank you to the dedicated Crozer Health employees, emergency responders from Delaware County, and the Southeast Regional Healthcare Coalition who worked swiftly and effectively to transfer patients to safety. Your coordination and calm under pressure were invaluable in ensuring the well-being of those in our care. I also want to thank our local area health systems who offered their assistance in transferring patients as needed.

The incident was triggered by a ruptured pipe that caused flooding in the hospital’s Mechanical Room located near the loading dock. The flooding reached the transformer and power panels in the electrical room causing multiple ARC shorts and terminating power to affected areas. The Upland Fire Company and Chester Bureau of Fire were immediately dispatched, and a Mass Casualty Incident was initiated which brought multiple ambulances from across the county to begin patient evacuations. While the smoke was contained mostly to the north side of the building, the situation required the immediate evacuation of Critical Care patients. The Delaware County Hazmat team monitored the air quality in all patient areas of the hospital.

Thanks to our robust Emergency Response and Emergency Management systems, we were able to act quickly. Within minutes, our Command Center was activated, staffed by leaders across the hospital and emergency responders, and within an hour, the hospital was placed on full divert. I am relieved to report that no injuries occurred during this incident.

As always, patient and employee safety is our top priority. We evacuated 33 patients to nearby hospitals, assuring their families that they were being well cared for. Other evacuated patients were safely transferred to alternative areas within the hospital. Some departments, including the Crisis Center, Pharmacy, and Telecom, were temporarily relocated to other parts of the hospital to ensure continuous operations.

The hospital remained on full divert for approximately 48 hours while cleanup and restoration efforts took place. Currently, Crozer-Chester Medical Center is operating on temporary power as the electrical infrastructure is being fully restored. As of now, we are still on divert for STEMI (cardiac catheterization) and Labor & Delivery cases only.

This was a remarkable demonstration of teamwork among the Crozer Health team, local authorities, and county organizations. Their collective efforts ensured that no patients were harmed and that we could continue to provide the highest level of care under extremely challenging circumstances.

I am especially proud of the Crozer Health team, who consistently go above and beyond to meet the needs of our patients and the communities we serve. While our organization faces unprecedented

challenges due to external factors beyond our control, it’s important to remember that the work done by our dedicated team members is nothing short of extraordinary.

Thank you all for your resilience, professionalism, and commitment to the safety and care of our patients.