Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital shuts down behavioral health unit in Delaware County

Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital recently shut down its 21-bed behavioral health unit in Delaware County, a move that limits access to needed treatment options for people with behavioral and mental health issues.

Delaware County has for years been trying to open a new mental health facility to meet growing demand, but has yet to close a deal. Now local services could be further affected by turmoil at another leading provider of such care. Last week, the state asked a court to let it take control of financially beleaguered Crozer Health to keep the system’s two hospitals and recently expanded behavioral health unit from closing.

Mercy Fitzgerald closed its behavioral health unit on Oct. 26 “after exhausting all available options,” according to a spokesperson for Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic, which owns the 188-bed hospital in Darby.

“We know that many people in Delaware County have relied on Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital for behavioral health services,” Jason Griffith, a spokesperson for the health system, said in a statement. “While there is a need for these services in our community, operational and financial challenges made it difficult for us to continue doing so.”

Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic has struggled financially, and reported an operating loss of $95 million in the fiscal year that ended June 30. That’s up from a loss of $80 million the same period a year before. The nonprofit health system reported revenue of $1.08 billion, up 3% from the year before.

Trinity Mid-Atlantic is owned by one of the nation’s largest Catholic health systems.

Mercy Fitzgerald serves about 186,000 patients a year, making it the busiest of Trinity’s Philadelphia-area hospitals. The system also includes Nazareth Hospital in Philadelphia and St. Mary Medical Center in Bucks County.

State and county officials have taken unprecedented steps in recent weeks to preserve access to critical health services in Delaware County.

Pennsylvania’s attorney general petitioned a Delaware County court in late October to give the state control of Crozer Health. Crozer’s owner, Prospect Medical Holdings Inc., had threatened to close key services, including maternity, a burn unit, and the county’s only trauma center.

» READ MORE: Crozer Health may be placed into state control, an unprecedented move after years of financial turmoil

Crozer is also one of the county’s largest behavioral health providers, with a crisis center, counseling for mental health and substance abuse, and an inpatient unit for more intensive care.

At the same time, the county continues a yearslong search for a location for a new mental health facility. Officials in June abandoned plans for a 16-bed facility in a wooded area in Marple, known as Delco Woods, because of financial issues. The proposal was opposed by some residents who want the properly preserved as parkland.

The county said at the time it was reviewing other options, but declined to share locations.

A county spokesperson declined to comment Thursdayand referred questions to the hospital.

Editor’s note this article was updated to include response from Delaware County.Staff writer Harold Brubaker contributed to this article.