Crozer’s closure left many children without care. A Chester health fair hopes to fill the gap.

As a pediatrician in Media, Jenna Higgins sees every day how the closure of Delaware County’s largest health system, Crozer Health, is affecting families.

One of her newer patients, a 4-year-old girl with autism, went without speech or physical therapy services for months after Crozer’s pediatrics practice closed in 2024. Her doctor’s referrals expired, and it took almost a year for the girl’s mother to find a new pediatrician, Higgins said.

“Her mom was understandably upset and felt like they had lost so much progress that they had made,” said Higgins, a pediatrician at Nemours Children’s Health in Media.

Crozer-Chester Medical Center and Taylor Hospital ceased operations this spring. The health system’s owner, Prospect Medical Holdings, had previously closed two other hospitals in Delaware County and other outpatient services, including the pediatrics practice.

Crozer’s demise has created a “healthcare desert” in Chester, said Higgins, who previously worked at Crozer’s pediatrics practice.

Families in Chester and the surrounding area have had to scramble to find new options for primary care, specialists, and emergency services. Many families have encountered significant delays in finding new pediatricians, forcing children to forego needed check-ups and services, Higgins said.

» READ MORE: Crozer patients in limbo as Delco health system’s future remains uncertain

With a new school year approaching, Higgins and a fellow pediatrician, Tanner Walsh, set out to make it easier for families to catch up on medical requirements before class resumes by pairing needed health services with some end-of-summer fun.

The “Back to School Bash,” scheduled for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 151 W. Fifth Street in Chester, will provide free physical exams, vaccinations, and lead testing to children in grades K-12. It’s a collaboration between the City of Chester Bureau of Health, the Delaware County Health Department, Nemours Children’s Health, State Sen. John Kane, ChesPenn Health Services, and the Foundation for Delaware County.

Families are encouraged to register beforehand, although walk-ins are accepted.

“As much as we can get healthcare providers to come to this area to provide free services, that is, at this point, our only chance for survival,” said Kristin Ball Motley, the health commissioner for the city of Chester.

Crozer’s outpatient pediatric practice used to be within walking distance for many Chester residents.

Families now must look for pediatric practices outside of Chester, in Eddystone, Marble, Springfield, or Media, said Frances Sheehan, president of the Foundation for Delaware County, a public health philanthropy.

But needing to travel even a few more miles for care can be a major barrier for families that rely on public transportation, she said.

The Foundation primarily works with pregnant people and families with young children. They have paid for transportation for people to get to pediatric appointments if necessary, said Katie Kenyon, vice president for programs at the foundation.

Other families have struggled to find new providers because they don’t have access to their medical records from Crozer. The health system has been charging $35 to $75 to get the files.

“They cannot schedule appointments for new pediatricians without their records, and they cannot afford to pay the fee,” Motley said.

Those fees should soon be eliminated under a pending agreement.

In the meantime, many children have had to forego regular visits. Some have had to stop their ADHD medication, and others have missed important blood work, Higgins said.

And with the hospital now closed, they must travel farther to get help in an emergency.

That’s a problem in a city with such stark health disparities as Chester’s, Motley said. Chester’s pediatric asthma rate is four times higher than the national average; their infant mortality rate is five times higher.

“We don’t have the healthcare infrastructure to sustain the healthcare needs of the community,” Motley said.

» READ MORE: Crozer Health since Prospect acquired it in 2016: A timeline

Health fair organizers at the Back to School Bash hope to connect with families by throwing an event that’s more like a party than a health fair. There will be a DJ, water ice, giveaways, raffles, and carnival games.

Plus plenty of free health resources: Primary care providers will be on site to provide vaccinations, lead testing, school physicals, and sports physicals.

The nonprofits Kids Smiles and Vision To Learn will offer dental and vision screening.

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Nemours, and other groups will have tables with health information and giveaways, such as school supplies and backpacks.

Higgins hopes that the families will meet providers who they can continue to see for follow-up care.

“They’ll get their school physical and their shots, but that’s just a temporary fix,” Higgins said.