Josh Shapiro, Attorney General of Pennsylvania, filed a Petition on November 15, 2022 for Rule To Show Cause in Delaware County Common Pleas Court, seeking a hearing to argue that Prospect Crozer, LLC, owner of Delaware County Memorial Hospital, should be held in contempt of court, for its violation of court orders dated October 11, 2022, and November 1, 2022.

In those orders, Prospect Crozer was required to maintain services at DCMH.

Notwithstanding the orders, Prospect Crozer allowed staffing levels to fall to unacceptably low levels. The Pennsylvania Department of Health agreed and, on November 1, 2022, ordered the suspension of DCMH’s services, effective November 4,2022, until Prospect complied with state regulations.

In its filing, the Attorney General asks the court to find Prospect Crozer, and its parent company Prospect Medical Holdings, Inc, in contempt of court, and to order the entities to secure the staffing needed to provide emergency department services to the public at DCMH.

Significantly, the Attorney General also seeks the imposition of a fine of $100,000 for each day that there has been, and continues to be, a ban on hospital admissions, starting November 7, 2022. As of the date of filing, the requested fine totaled $800,000.

The Foundation for Delaware County (the “Foundation”) has joined in the Attorney General’s motion. The Foundation and the County of Delaware are appreciative of the firm and unequivocal action taken by the Attorney General, and his office. The original order of the court was clear: Keep DCMH open.

The action of Prospect Crozer to seek to circumvent this order, by failing to properly staff the hospital is shameful, and consistent with its recent actions, which put private profit as the singular focus of its operations, without regard to contractual commitments, or considerations of the health and safety of residents of Delaware County.

The Foundation looks forward to working with the Attorney General and the Courts of this Commonwealth to ensure that Prospect Crozer meets its contractual and community obligations.

Delaware County Council was proud to honor the recipients of the 2022 Freedom Medal Awards during the 8th annual Freedom Medal Awards Dinner held at the Springfield County Club on November 18.

The Delaware County Veterans Memorial Association hosts the annual dinner to pay tribute to our local Veterans and to raise funds to support its educational programs that ensure future generations know about our nation’s military history and sacrifice. 

Delaware County is home to over 35,000 Veterans who have bravely served our nation. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the Veterans Memorial Association, our community has been provided with an inspiring space at the Veterans Memorial and POW Wall in Newtown Square to reflect upon the bravery and sacrifice of our local Veterans and honor those who have served to defend our rights and protect our freedom 

Council was once again proud to partner with the Veterans Memorial Association to host the awards ceremony, and Councilman Madden was honored to serve as Emcee of the event and also join Senator Tim Kearney in presenting a County Resolution and a State Proclamation to the recipients. 

The 2022 Freedom Medal Award winners are: 

• General John (Jay) Paxton, Jr., USMC
• Brig. General Daniel Van Wyk, U.S. Air Force, Air National Guard
• Joseph Curley, U.S. Coast Guard
• Carl Ewing, U.S. Army
• Denise Leslie, U.S. Navy
• Benjamin Sides, USMC
• James L. Smith, USMC

The J.A.C.E. of Delco (Juneteenth Artistic Collaborative Experience) was honored with a special “Dedication to Education” award, and Greencastle Associates Consulting was honored for their “Dedication to our Country & Community.”

Congratulations to the recipients on their much-deserved recognition! 

Council thanks and commends President of the Association Joe Daly, for his leadership throughout the year, Nicole de Botton, who ensures the event is successful each year, and Claude de Botton, whose vision, dedication, patriotism, and tremendous respect for Delaware County’s heroes had led to the truly extraordinary Veterans Memorial and POW Wall in Newtown Square. 

Visit the Delaware County Veterans Memorial Association website for more information.

General John (Jay) Paxton, Jr., USMC

Brig. General Daniel Van Wyk, U.S. Air Force, Air National Guard

Joseph Curley, U.S. Coast Guard

Carl Ewing, U.S. Army

Denise Leslie, U.S. Navy

Benjamin Sides, USMC

James L. Smith, USMC

Greencastle Associates Consulting

Juneteenth Artistic Collaborative Experience of Delco

Delaware County Council Vice Chair Elaine Paul Schaefer, Councilman Kevin Madden, and District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer were honored to attend an Inclusion Ceremony on November 12 at Rose Tree Park. The annual ceremony, hosted by the Delaware County Fallen Firefighter and EMS Memorial Committee, honors the lives and legacies of fallen firefighters.

This year, the ceremony honored Morton-Rutledge Fire Company Captain Michael Malinowski. Captain Malinowski died on December 3, 2019, after responding to a call for downed wires and trees. Following the call, he reported to officers that he was feeling ill. At work the next morning, he had tightness in his chest and was taken to the hospital, where he later passed away.

Captain Malinowski was a 1997 graduate of Gloucester City Junior-Senior High School, where he played football, baseball, and ran track. He began volunteering with the Gloucester City Fire Department as a teenager and then became Captain of the Morton-Rutledge Fire Company Station 13 in 2019, where he also served on the Board of Directors. Captain Malinowski is survived by his wife, Melissa, and his five children, Bailey, Michael Jr., Matthew, Cooper, and Harper.

The ceremony paid tribute to Captain Malinowski and honored his heroism and selfless dedication to the community. His name was added to the Memorial Wall as family, friends, and members of the Firefighter and EMS gathered to celebrate his legacy.

Council extends its heartfelt sympathy and gratitude to Captain Malinowski’s family, friends, and the firefighter and EMS community. 

Delaware County residents are invited to a free screening of the award-winning documentary film Aftershock, which powerfully examines the deadly maternal health crisis now facing women of color in the United States. 

The film explores the systemic reasons why Black and Brown women face significant health disparities and are three times more likely to die during childbirth. 

After the screening, a panel discussion with Shawnee Gibson Benton and Omari Maynard, two key individuals from the film who experienced devastating personal losses in their family due to childbirth, will be held to help attendees better understand the historical and current issues related to Black maternal mortality and the impact on the Black community, and work to develop strategies and ideas to implement change in perinatal care with regard to Black families.

Other local panelists include Delaware County Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor, Desirée Israel, Co-founder, Perinatal Mental Health Alliance for People of Color; Dr. Jawanza Bundy from the Widener University School of Nursing; Onaje Muid, Fatherhood Coordinator from The Foundation for Delaware County; and Shanna Williams, Founder of S.W. Doula.

The event is presented by the Foundation for Delaware County and Baby’s First, and will take place on Fri., Dec. 2, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., at Widener University’s Alumni Auditorium.

Interested residents must register to attend (see button below). Light refreshments will be served. Physicians, nurses, therapists and social workers can earn Continuing Education (CE) credits.

We hope to see you there!

More about Aftershock

Directed by Tonya Lewis Lee and Paula Eiselt, Aftershock takes an eye-opening look at the maternal health crisis facing women in the United States and intimately follows the stories of black women whose deaths during delivery and postpartum were preventable. 

The film sheds light on the history of neglect and abuse towards women of color in America due to structural racism, and illustrates how the victims’ families, birth workers, activists and doctors are working to improve maternal care in the United States through legislation and changes to the medical system. 

Aftershock was awarded the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Impact for Change at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

Visit the Aftershock website at www.aftershockdocumentary.com to learn more about the film, watch a preview, and get information about how to take action. The film is also available to stream via Hulu.

Delaware County Council Vice Chair Elaine Paul Schaefer, Councilman Kevin Madden, Councilman Richard Womack, and District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer had the chance to spread a little holiday cheer during IBEW Local 654’s annual Toy Drive. 

IBEW Local 654 and WMMR invited members of the community to drop off toys for its Toys for Tots collection, and the community responded, with hundreds of toys donated!

The toys will be distributed to children across the county this holiday season.

Residents interested in donating can learn more on the Toys for Tots website.

Delaware County’s Fair Acres Geriatric Center, owned and operated by the County of Delaware, has been named one of “America’s Best Nursing Homes for 2023” by Newsweek. 

Out of 11,722 nursing homes analyzed across the country, Newsweek selected the top 4% — just 475 nursing homes — for recognition. Performance data, peer recommendations, the handling of COVID-19, and the facility’s accreditations were taken into consideration, with Fair Acres ranking 25th among Pennsylvania nursing homes. 

“Delaware County Council congratulates the hard-working and dedicated staff at Fair Acres, led by Director Bill D’Amico, for this truly well-earned distinction,” said Delaware County Councilwoman Christine Reuther. “The last few years have been extraordinarily challenging for those who work at long-term care facilities due to the pandemic, and I am proud that our team at Fair Acres has weathered this difficult period with grace and unwavering professionalism.” 

Fair Acres, located in Lima, is the largest skilled nursing facility in Delaware County, accommodating up to 874 residents at any given time, and has been in operation and providing quality care to the residents of Delaware County for over 200 years.

Fair Acres provides long term care for any adult, young or old, with a demonstrated need for 24-hour-a-day nursing care and offers short term rehabilitation stays for individuals. 

In addition, Fair Acres serves as a geriatric training site for local colleges, universities and nursing schools.

About the Rankings

Statista used CMS data to determine the performance of nursing homes. For peer recommendations, Statista invited over 10,000 medical experts to an online survey. Additionally, experts from all over the U.S. could participate in the survey of the Best Nursing Homes by State on newsweek.com. Statista and Newsweek calculated a COVID-19 score for each facility, using CMS data, to identify nursing homes which have had the best possible response and protocols during the pandemic. For the first time, nursing homes accreditations from the Joint Commission International (JCI) have been added to the scoring model. The overall rating is the weighted average of the performance data score (35 percent), reputation score (35 percent, COVID-19 score (25 percent) and the accreditation score (5 percent).

Residents interested in more information about Fair Acres, including enrollment requirements, can visit their website, linked below. 

SEPTA is inviting Delaware County residents to participate in two December Community Conversation Open Houses that will focus on a proposal to provide two on-demand bus service zones within Delaware County.

The Community Conversation sessions — one virtual and one in-person — will provide information about how potential changes to the bus network might affect our community. Registration is required for the virtual session (details below).

During these Community Conversations, SEPTA will provide an overview of a revised bus network and highlight key proposed changes for bus service within the county (with a specific focus on the microtransit/on-demand service).

A Question & Answer period will allow residents to ask questions and provide comments.

Feedback is specifically sought from riders that use bus routes 111, 112, 119, 120, and 126, though all riders and residents are invited to join.

SEPTA Forward Bus Revolution 

The newly proposed on-demand service is part of the SEPTA Forward Bus Revolution project, focused on delivering an easier to use, more convenient and more reliable bus network.

The three-year process (with two years of planning and analysis with a third year focused on implementation) has three stated goals: Putting the rider experience first, increasing access to opportunity, and building trust with reliable service.

In-Person Open House

69th Street Transportation Center

Wed., Dec. 7, 3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Virtual Open House

Wed., Dec. 14, 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Registration required!

Click the buttons below to register for the December 14 Virtual Open House, read up on the SEPTA First Bus Revolution project, or better understand how microtransit/on-demand bus service works.

Residents can also contact SEPTA for more information at (267) 291-6045.

Reminder: The Delaware County Office of Sustainability, in partnership with Delaware County Council, the Delaware County Solid Waste Authority, and the Delaware County Bureau of Elections will hold two separate election Campaign Sign Recycling Events — one this weekend and one in early December — at the Delaware County Emergency Services Training Center in Sharon Hill, PA.

All campaign signs (plastic-coated, cardboard, and vinyl signs) and accompanying metal stands will be accepted free-of-charge.

Hope to see you there. Please spread the word! 

Election Recycling Event #1

Fri., Nov. 18 & Sat., Nov. 19

8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Delaware County Emergency Services Training Center

1600 Calcon Hook Road

Sharon Hill, PA 19079 | Map

Election Recycling Event #2

Fri, Dec. 2 & Sat., Dec. 3

8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Delaware County Emergency Services Training Center

1600 Calcon Hook Road

Sharon Hill, PA 19079 | Map

Delaware County Govt Official 2022 Calendar

Meet your Delaware County Council members

The Delaware County Health Department website