Delaware County helps former Crozer Health patients to get medical records

6 hours ago 1

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It’s been nearly two months since Crozer Health officially closed the last of its hospitals and health offices in Delaware County, and some former patients say they’re still struggling to get copies of their medical records.

County officials say that’s been especially true for seniors, who may need assistance in looking up records online or requesting documents over the phone.

“Some of them don’t have the emails, computers and say they try to call and can’t speak to anyone,” said Richard Womack, county council vice chair.

Now, the Delaware County Health Department is stepping in and launching a new summer events series aimed at helping older adults get digital and hard copies of their medical documents from the shuttered health care system.

“I just don’t want the records to get lost and then I’m not able to capture them,” said Dianne Roberts-Gibbs, who was a patient at Crozer Health for about 40 years.

The summer outreach series, Navigating Our Healthcare System for Seniors, will be held throughout June and July at different senior centers in the region. The program also provides information on insurance options, immunizations, tick and mosquito remediation and more.

During a recent event at the Good Neighbor Senior Center in Sharon Hill, health department staff set up mini workstations in a large, multipurpose room.

Staff members helped Roberts-Gibbs, who is in her late 70s, look up at least 10 years of medical records on a laptop.

a Delaware County Health Department staff member helps a person

The support was refreshing, Roberts-Gibbs said, after her experience in trying to get her medical records on her own. She said she filled out two request forms provided by Crozer Health in early May to have her records mailed to her home in Sharon Hill.

“And we’re in the middle of June and I have yet to hear anything from them,” Roberts-Gibbs said.

But after attending the health department event, she walked away with digital and paper copies of medical documents. It’s one less thing she has to do before starting her search for a new primary care provider.

“I have to call my insurance company and start getting a list, but this is really helpful,” she said.

a Delaware County Health Department staff member leads a presentation

The Crozer Health website directs people to a document that states patients can access their medical records through the health system’s Health+Link online portal. People can also submit a request for documents to be mailed home.

The document also includes a list of other health care systems and providers in the area as well as a link to urgent care centers in Delaware County.

A lot of people still found the Crozer Health closure a confusing and difficult situation to navigate, said Dr. Gifty Akomea Key, population health division administrator at the health department.

“The closing just made it so evident how important it is for us to be our own advocate and have our own information,” she said.

Key said that while the health department alone can’t bring back a hospital to the community, it can offer some reassurance that people will have the right medical documents when transferring to new health systems.

“The closing entirely just gives this huge level of anxiety,” Key said. “So knowing that, ‘Oh, well, I have my medical records, I have my information that I can give to someone else’ gives a little bit of comfort in saying, ‘OK, I’m one step closer to ensuring that I’ll be OK.’”

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