Jefferson Health will close four Einstein pediatric practices and move three others to True North Pediatrics
The move could force thousands of low-income families to travel farther for pediatric care.
Jefferson Health is closing four legacy Einstein pediatric practices, including one at Jefferson Einstein Hospital Philadelphia in a low-income area of the city, and moving three others to True North Pediatrics, a private group with a dozen mostly suburban locations.
The nonprofit health system did not respond to questions Thursday about how many children the practices serve, how many jobs will be cut, or why it was making the change, which is expected to significantly reduce the amount of pediatric care in North and Northeast Philadelphia.
This week’s pediatric cutbacks are a significant move affecting patient care amid a yearslong effort to make the system with more than $15 billion in annual revenue financially sustainable. From 2015 through 2024, Jefferson grew from three hospitals to more than 30 and now stretches from South Jersey to near Scranton.
The locations scheduled to close June 30 are the Pediatric & Adolescent Ambulatory Center at Einstein Philadelphia and three Holland Pediatrics locations (Center One/Bustleton in Northeast Philadelphia, Buck Road in Southampton, and Frankford in Torresdale), Jefferson said in a statement.
The three clinics going to True North are Trappe Pediatric Care at Iron Bridge, Pennypack Pediatrics, and Einstein Pediatrics Elkins Park. Jefferson did not provide details on transaction terms.
A practice manager at True North, which is based in suburban Philadelphia, did not respond to a request for more information. True North’s website said the practice is independent, “not managed by any big business or larger institution.”
Jefferson said in a statement that it will continue offering pediatric services through its primary care network, urgent care centers, emergency departments, and Lehigh Valley Health Network’s Reilly Children’s Hospital.
The pediatric clinics affected had been part of the former Einstein Healthcare Network when Jefferson acquired the system in 2021.
“With three excellent inpatient pediatric hospitals right here in our region, partnering with True North Pediatrics — an organization whose singular focus is pediatric care — allows us to ensure that families across our region continue to receive the specialized, dedicated attention they deserve," Jefferson said in an internal communication Monday.
It’s possible that St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, which is about 3½ miles by car from Einstein Philadelphia, will pick up many of the thousands of dislocated patients.
St. Chris already serves almost exclusively patients with Medicaid insurance for low-income families and struggles to make ends meet because of the low rates it receives.
“We are committed to delivering trusted, compassionate care for every patient who walks through our doors,” St. Chris said in a statement. “Families can access care at our nearby locations, including our Center for the Urban Children and Northeast Pediatrics office.”