Last checked: October 15, 2026. This independent guide explains where to find a hospital in Chester PA after the Crozer closure. It is not affiliated with Crozer Health, Prospect Medical Holdings or any hospital, and it is not medical advice.
In an emergency, call 911. Paramedics decide which hospital can treat you, and for a serious injury that may be a trauma center in Philadelphia or Delaware.
There is no open hospital in Chester PA right now. Crozer-Chester Medical Center, the city’s only hospital, stopped taking ambulances in April 2025 and closed that spring. The nearest 24/7 emergency rooms are ChristianaCare Hospital, Aston (about 5.6 road miles from City Hall), Riddle Hospital in Media (about 7 miles) and Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Darby (about 8 miles). For the full county list, see every open hospital and ER in Delaware County.
This page is for Chester residents and the people who help them: where to go for an emergency, for something urgent that can’t wait for a doctor, and for everyday care, plus what the new owners of the Crozer campus have said about bringing services back.
Is there a hospital in Chester PA today?
Not since 2025. For decades, Crozer-Chester Medical Center sat on a 64-acre campus that straddles Chester and Upland Township, at One Medical Center Boulevard. Its owner, Prospect Medical Holdings, went into bankruptcy, and the hospital closed in the spring of 2025 along with Taylor Hospital in Ridley Park. As NBC10 reported in February 2026, many residents now travel to Philadelphia or Wilmington for care, and some describe trips of more than 30 minutes by car.
Our Crozer-Chester Medical Center page covers the hospital’s history and the sale.
Chester County Hospital is not in Chester PA
However, if you search for a hospital in Chester PA, most of the top results are for Penn Medicine Chester County Hospital. That hospital is at 701 East Marshall Street in West Chester, in a different county, roughly 18 road miles from Chester City Hall. It is a real hospital, but for most Chester residents it is not the closest one. If you are calling a ride or giving directions, say the town name, not just “Chester.”
Hospital ERs nearest to Chester PA
Distances below are approximate driving miles from Chester City Hall (1 East 4th Street), measured with OpenStreetMap routing. Still, real trip times depend on traffic and where in the city you start.
| Hospital | Address | Main phone | Approx. miles from Chester | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChristianaCare Hospital, Aston | 700 Turner Industrial Way, Aston, PA 19014 | 484-858-5901 | 5.6 | Small neighborhood hospital, opened June 2026. 24/7 ER, 10 beds, CT, X-ray, ultrasound, lab. |
| Riddle Hospital | 1068 W. Baltimore Pike, Media, PA 19063 | 484-227-9400 | 6.9 | Main Line Health. Full-service hospital with a 24/7 emergency department. |
| Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital | 1500 Lansdowne Ave, Darby, PA 19023 | 610-237-4000 | 8.2 | Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic. 24/7 emergency department serving eastern Delaware County. |
| Wilmington Hospital | 501 W. 14th St, Wilmington, DE | See ChristianaCare | 14.1 | ChristianaCare, across the state line. Some Chester residents use it. |
| Penn Presbyterian Medical Center | 51 N. 39th St, Philadelphia, PA | See Penn Medicine | 14.9 | Level I trauma center. Ambulances bring serious injuries here. |
As it happens, the newest option is also the closest. ChristianaCare says its Aston hospital treats common emergencies such as falls, injuries, heart attacks and strokes, with virtual specialist consults in cardiology, critical care and other areas. Because it is a small hospital, patients who need surgery or a specialist unit may be moved to a larger one.
Riddle and Mercy Fitzgerald are the two full hospitals closest to the city. If you are headed to either one, our guides cover check-in, wait times and what to bring: what to expect at the Riddle ER and the Mercy Fitzgerald ER guide. The hospital pages for Riddle Hospital and Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital have parking, phone numbers and services.
Serious injuries go out of the county
Crozer-Chester ran Delaware County’s only trauma center. Without it, the nearest high-level trauma centers are Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia and Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood, both about 15 road miles from City Hall. Christiana Hospital in Newark, Delaware, is farther, at about 23 miles. For that reason, it is safer not to drive someone with a bad injury yourself: the crew may take them past the closest ER to a hospital that can operate right away.
Who answers 911 calls in Chester now?
Crozer used to run Chester’s ambulance service. When it shut down, the city brought in VMSC Emergency Medical Services, a nonprofit based in Lansdale, starting May 2, 2025. In April 2026 the city signed a five-year, $2.8 million contract to keep VMSC in place.
According to the Inquirer’s report on the contract, VMSC keeps at least three basic ambulances for Chester and its direct neighbors, with two staffed around the clock, plus a supervisor trained in advanced care. Crews answered 8,324 calls in the first year, and the average response time dropped to about five and a half minutes from more than 12. About 35% of those calls did not end with a trip to the hospital; crews often check blood pressure, help with medicines or help someone up after a fall.
Even so, quick response is only one part of the trip. The drive to the hospital is now longer than it was when Crozer was a few minutes away, which is why calling early matters for chest pain, stroke signs and trouble breathing.
Urgent care in and near Chester
For problems that need attention today but are not life-threatening, such as a sprain, a cut that may need stitches, a fever or a urinary infection, urgent care is usually faster and cheaper than an ER. Delaware County’s “Know when to go where” guide lists these centers closest to Chester:
- Everest Urgent Care, Chester: 2600 W. 9th St, Unit E1, Chester, PA 19013
- AFC Urgent Care Aston: 5024 Pennell Rd, Aston, PA 19014
- AFC Urgent Care Ridley: 2623 E. MacDade Blvd, Holmes, PA 19043. AFC lists walk-in hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends.
- MedExpress Urgent Care: 4808 Edgmont Ave, Brookhaven, PA 19015
Hours change, so always call or check the center’s website before you go. In addition, the county guide warns that some urgent care centers ask for payment up front. An ER must stabilize you whether or not you can pay, though you may get a bill later.
Everyday doctors and clinics in Chester
Primary care is the gap residents bring up most. The Inquirer reported in February 2026 that residents and the advocacy group One Pennsylvania say the city has no private primary care doctors or pediatricians left, and that some people now travel 20 to 30 minutes or more for routine visits.
The main local option is ChesPenn Health Services, a nonprofit federally qualified health center. Its Chester site is the Center for Family Health at Eastside, 125 E. 9th Street, Chester, PA 19013 (medical 610-872-6131, dental 610-874-6231). ChesPenn lists family, adult and children’s medical care, dental care, women’s health and prenatal care, STD and HIV testing, and behavioral health. Fees are based on ability to pay, whether or not you have insurance. Its other clinic is at 5 South State Road in Upper Darby (610-352-6585).
ChesPenn’s CEO told DELCO.Today in March 2026 that Chester “did not lose primary care,” and the clinic has taken a steady flow of new patients. Pregnancy care, however, is harder. Doctors who once delivered babies at Crozer-Chester also saw ChesPenn’s prenatal patients, and the clinic says there is no direct transit route for those patients to reach Riddle.
Will a hospital in Chester PA reopen?
Parts of it may, but not as the hospital it was, and not soon. In January 2026, Chariot Equities and Allaire Health Services bought the campus for $10 million. At a town hall on April 14, 2026, the owners said primary care should return to the site within nine months, with support from the Independence Blue Cross Foundation. The wider rebuild is expected to take two to three years.
In the long term, the plan is a much smaller hospital. DELCO.Today reported in June 2026 that the owners are talking about roughly 80 inpatient beds, compared with 424 before the closure, and that an unnamed Philadelphia-area health system was in due diligence to run it. No operator has been announced. Whether the campus will have an emergency department again is still undecided; the owners have said it depends on the operating partner.
Until a new hospital in Chester PA actually opens, plan as if the nearest ER is in Aston, Media or Darby.
FAQ
What is the closest hospital to Chester PA?
By road from Chester City Hall, ChristianaCare Hospital, Aston is the closest, at about 5.6 miles. Riddle Hospital in Media (about 7 miles) and Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Darby (about 8 miles) are the closest full-service hospitals. All three have 24/7 emergency rooms.
Is Chester County Hospital the same as Crozer-Chester?
No. Chester County Hospital is a Penn Medicine hospital in West Chester, Chester County, and it is open. Crozer-Chester Medical Center was in Upland and Chester, Delaware County, and it closed in 2025.
Where will an ambulance take me from Chester?
The crew decides based on what is wrong. In general, most patients go to the nearest suitable ER, such as Aston, Riddle or Mercy Fitzgerald. Serious trauma usually goes to a trauma center such as Penn Presbyterian in Philadelphia.
Can I still get my records from Crozer-Chester?
Yes, through Morgan Records Management, until March 2, 2027. Our Crozer medical records guide shows how to request them.
Is there mental health crisis help in Chester?
Call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Delaware County’s Crisis Connections Team takes calls 24/7 at (855) 889-7827.
An independent guide. Crozer Health Center Guide is not affiliated with Crozer Health, Prospect Medical, Main Line Health, Trinity Health or any hospital, and nothing here is medical advice. In an emergency, call 911. For a mental health crisis, call or text 988.
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