by John Osborn ·
Friday, August 30, 2024
With Nashoba Valley Medical Center scheduled to close in less than 24 hours, the Healey-Driscoll administration announced a series of steps this afternoon to reduce the impact of the closing on affected communities and prepare for the future.
In an afternoon press release, the administration said the Department of Public Health would open applications for eight towns currently served by Nashoba hospital, inviting them to apply for grants to acquire and upgrade ambulances and emergency medical vehicles, as well as emergency medical equipment, life support devices, maintenance equipment, and other capital equipment “associated with municipally-owned ambulance and emergency medical vehicles.” The eligible towns include Ayer, Devens, Groton, Harvard, Littleton, Pepperell, Shirley, and Townsend.
The statement also confirmed for the first time that the state is discussing future uses of the abandoned facility with UMass Memorial Health of Worcester, as previously reported by the Worcester Business Journal and in this week’s Harvard Press.
“The Executive Office of Health and Human Services is engaged in ongoing discussions with UMass Memorial Health and other providers in the region with the goal of reimagining future care on the Nashoba Valley Medical Center campus,” the statement said. “UMass Memorial Health is considering alternative possibilities, such as converting the hospital’s emergency room into an urgent care facility.”
Discussions are in the early stages, the statement continued, but added, “There will be continued collaboration with UMass to attempt to provide an alternative health care option for residents.”
“We’ve heard the concerns raised by the communities and staff impacted by Steward’s plans to close Carney Hospital and Nashoba Valley Medical Center,” said Gov. Maura Healey in her first public comments following demonstrations by health care workers, legislators, and patients in Ayer and at the State House earlier this week.
“We share their frustration. Massachusetts communities should never have been put in this position. Our teams have been preparing for this, and we will ensure that residents continue to have access to high-quality medical care and that all staff are connected to new employment opportunities at other facilities.”
The afternoon’s statement listed a number of additional steps the Department of Health says it “is taking—or will take—to support the affected communities.” Those relevant to Nashoba hospital and the communities it has served included (quoting from the Healey-Driscoll press release):
- Supporting the preservation and relocation of primary care practices, and some specialty care, and other services in the medical office buildings on Nashoba campus.
- Working with emergency medical services, local fire chiefs, and ambulance companies to address the impact of closures on transport time and emergency vehicle availability.
- Organizing stand-by ambulances at [Carney and Nashoba] hospitals 24/7 for seven days following closure to triage and transport any patients who arrive at the emergency departments.
- Working with the Executive Office of Veterans Services and the Veterans Administration system to transition care of veterans who had received care at Nashoba Valley.
- Continuing to work to identify and communicate transportation options for patients who will need to travel to new hospitals, offices, and other health care facilities.;
- Working with the Department of Mental Health to support the opening of geriatric psychiatry beds at Good Samaritan Medical Center to offset the loss of beds at Carney and Nashoba Valley.
- Protecting ongoing access for patients to their medical records, imaging studies, and other vital health and medical information.
A Steward spokesperson said today that Nashoba’s records will be transferred to Holy Family Hospital which will become their legal custodian of the records. Patients can go onto the Nashoba website and download forms, translated into six languages.
- Creating resources for patients, families, and communities, including a dedicated Steward Transition website, a call center, an interactive urgent care center map, and an interactive hospital capacity dashboard.
Information about the closure of Nashoba Valley Medical Center and resources available to the patients, employees, and communities can be found at Steward Health Care transitions | Mass.gov or by calling the Commonwealth’s Steward Health Care Call Center at 617-468-2189 (local) or 833-305-2070 (toll-free) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (excluding Massachusetts holidays). Watch for the Harvard Press’ guide for patients in next week’s paper.
Editor’s Note: This is a developing story. Watch this site for further updates.