Pennsylvania’s governor-elect and Attorney General Josh Shapiro has entered the fray over Delaware County Memorial Hospital, writes John George for Philadelphia Business Journal.

Shapiro’s office is petitioning to have DCMH owner Crozer Health and parent company Prospect Medical Holdings held in contempt for violating an Oct. 11 Common Pleas court order that requires them to keep the hospital open.

Prospect wants to close current operations and open a behavioral health and urgent care facility. It has appealed the injunction to Commonwealth Court.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health ordered Crozer to close the DCMH emergency room Nov. 7 and not admit any new hospital patients because it was failing to provide diagnostic imaging coverage.  

Shapiro’s office seeks a court order that Prospect and Crozer “take all steps necessary” to address the deficiencies outlined in the state health department’s order or face a daily $100,000 fine.

“Prospect’s failure to resolve its staffing shortages violates the injunction that the trial court imposed to maintain the hospital’s service lines and Prospect cannot be permitted to forgo resolving the Department of Health’s order to avoid meeting the staffing demands of the trial court order,” Shapiro said.

Read more about Josh Shapiro’s involvement in DCMH at Philadelphia Business Journal.