The six-bed pediatric unit at Doylestown Hospital is closing by month’s end.
Doylestown Health announced in a press release Tuesday it will be closing the Carol and Louis Della Penna Pediatric Center effective Sept. 30, citing an overall decrease in demand for the service.
The decision reflects shifting needs in the community, said Jim Brexler, president and CEO of Doylestown Health.
“When I arrived at Doylestown Health nearly 10 years ago, health care began to shift from focusing on the sick individuals in our hospital to focusing on preventive medicine and wellness. By keeping the community healthy, especially our younger patients, the need for inpatient pediatric care has dramatically shifted,” Brexler said.
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While the pediatric unit is closing, Brexler emphasized Doylestown Hospital will continue to treat children, offering the same services and level of care, but without a dedicated space specific to pediatric patients.
"One of the things I don't want is for the community to think they can't bring their kids here. Doylestown is still fully prepared to received, evaluate and treat children," he said. "We are not out of the pediatric business, we're just no longer using a dedicated unit."
Pediatric diagnostic testing and pediatric outpatient surgery will continue, as well as pediatric care through the emergency department at Doylestown Hospital and its Urgent Care center on Swamp Road.
Through the Della Penna Pediatric Program, Doylestown Health will continue to deliver pediatric services in the community through its partnerships with local school districts and youth organizations. The program works with children and families, offering health and wellness education through classes, workshops and events.
Additionally, Della Penna Pediatrics will continue in its mission to provide care through neonatology services for newborns delivered by CHOP neonatologists; pediatric outpatient surgery, including observation and inpatient care when appropriate; urgent and emergency care; access to Shriners Children’s Clinic in Doylestown; and day care and early childhood education through Children’s Village.
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Brexler said the decision to close the unit didn't come easy, but he said the numbers weren't there.
In 2016, 277 patients were admitted to the unit, the highest it's seen since opening in October 2014. Since 2016, the numbers continued to fall, so that by 2022, the unit had only 177 admissions to date.
At certain points, the unit would go days without any patients at all.
"There were very few days when the unit was full. Most of the time, it would have one or two kids, or none," he said.
Over the same period of time, Brexler said the number of pediatric patients coming into the emergency department and urgent care center has increased, going from 7,022 children in 2015 to 8,097 so far this year.
"A lot of the care that might've been done in a hospital setting before, kids are now being observed for several hours after having a procedure and being sent home. So, it's really more outpatient now," Brexler said.
In cases where children need to be transferred to another hospital for inpatient care, Doylestown Health said it will maintain strong partnerships with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and Grand View Health to ensure streamlined access to care.
Last year, CHOP received 1,664 admissions from Bucks County, a number that has been falling each year — a trend consistent with CHOP’s total pediatric admissions.
Additionally, the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council reports inpatient rates for patients under 25 in Bucks County has steadily declined by 30% between 2011 and 2021.
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