Hospitals in Boston, Brockton, Fall River, Haverhill, Methuen and Taunton officially were handed over to new owners in a realignment that tilts the state’s health care world towards greater regionalization.
BOSTON (SHNS) – The splintering of Steward Health Care’s former hospital system in Massachusetts became complete Tuesday as hospitals in Boston, Brockton, Fall River, Haverhill, Methuen and Taunton officially were handed over to new owners in a realignment that tilts the state’s health care world towards greater regionalization.
Steward’s exit from Massachusetts about 14 years after it shook up the industry when it took over the faith-based Caritas system will see existing nearby hospital groups expand their footprints in (and in one case into) Massachusetts, but the significant shuffling all takes place among the tier of operators just below the two big juggernauts of Mass General Brigham and Beth Israel Lahey Health, which have dominated the Boston-area landscape under various names for years.
For state government, the day marked “a new chapter for health care in Massachusetts” as the bankrupt Steward’s exit from the state was completed nearly a year after its financial problems first forced a crisis. Steward already closed Carney Hospital in Dorchester and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer, but the governor’s office said access to care was preserved for hundreds of thousands of patients and more than 13,000 jobs were maintained at the hospitals that changed hands this week.
“Today, these hospitals are freed from Steward’s greed and mismanagement, and start fresh with established, reputable and local operators,” Gov. Maura Healey said. “They are ready to not only keep these hospitals going, but to enhance the care they provide and strengthen the communities that depend on them.”
In the Merrimack Valley, the Holy Family Hospital facilities in Haverhill and Methuen are being absorbed by nearby Lawrence General Hospital. Hospital officials and community leaders held ceremonies Tuesday “symbolizing the closure of a sale transaction and the start of a new regional health care system for the Merrimack Valley.”
“Just a couple of months ago, it was not clear if Methuen and Haverhill would still have hospitals,” Rosemary Day, chair of Lawrence General Hospital’s board, said. “Our board and hospital administration were absolutely aligned on the idea that we had to step in and do something. We look to build on this foundation to create a great regional health system.”
In southeastern Massachusetts, Lifespan (which will soon be known as Brown University Health) finalized the acquisition of Saint Anne’s Hospital in Fall River and Morton Hospital in Taunton. Lifespan of Massachusetts, the subsidiary of the Rhode Island-based company, represents the next step in building “a non-profit regional healthcare organization focused on expanding access to care for all” along the Massachusetts-Rhode Island border, the company said.
“First and foremost, the compassionate clinicians and teams at Saint Anne’s and Morton deserve our deepest gratitude for the care they continue to provide across Southeastern Massachusetts. Their commitment to the communities we will all serve is truly heroic,” John Fernandez, the president and CEO who leads Lifespan after a long career in Massachusetts, said. “Together, we share a vision and will create a thriving healthcare system that benefits patients in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, reinvests back into its hospitals and its people, and serves as an economic driver for the cities and towns we care for. We look forward to our continued work with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as we integrate these hospitals and practices into our system.”
And with the purchase of St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton and Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton, Boston Medical Center will expand its reach within the city and along the Route 24 corridor. BMC said its expansion “builds on Boston Medical Center’s existing clinical relationship with St. Elizabeth’s and deep presence in Brockton through the Brockton Behavioral Health Center.”
“We are proud today to welcome the patients and communities served by both hospitals into our health system. Together, with the highly skilled clinicians and staff at each hospital, we will work to ensure stability and as seamless a transition as possible for patients, with a long-term focus on sustainability across our health system,” BMC Health System President and CEO Dr. Alastair Bell said.
The trend of regionalization is not limited to the former Steward hospitals or eastern Mass. UMass Memorial Health, the largest nonprofit health care system in Central Massachusetts, announced Tuesday that it had formally absorbed Milford Regional Medical Center and its physicians group. The acute care hospital’s name is now officially UMass Memorial Health – Milford Regional Medical Center.
“Taking our longstanding partnership with Milford Regional to this next level allows UMass Memorial Health to meaningfully expand our continued work to provide high-quality, accessible, and affordable care to the communities of Central Massachusetts,” UMass Memorial Health President and CEO Dr. Eric Dickson said.