DPH to hold accelerated hearing on planned closure of Nashoba Valley Medical Center
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Steward Health Care announced the closure of Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer on July 26.
State public health officials have scheduled public hearings on Steward Health Care's plans to close Carney Hospital in Dorchester and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer later this month.
State regulations require hospital providers to provide at least 120 days' notice ahead of an essential service closure, but officials at the bankrupt health care system are forging ahead with plans to close the two facilities later this month.
The Department of Public Health hearings are scheduled to occur on an accelerated timeline, as DPH is supposed to hold a hearing at least 60 days before a closure takes effect. The hearings are intended to help DPH gauge whether services are necessary for preserving access to care, though health officials cannot force a service to stay open.
DPH plans an in-person public hearing at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13 at Florian Hall in Dorchester on the closure of the Carney, according to a notice shared with the News Service. That's followed by a virtual public hearing on the Carney at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14, which people can access by calling 888-917-8055 and using passcode 4153805. Officials are accepting written testimony until midnight, Aug. 14.
For Nashoba, DPH is holding an in-person public hearing at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15 at Devens Common Center. There will also be a virtual hearing at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19 that people can join by calling 800-593-9954 and using passcode 3281952. Written testimony will be accepted up to midnight on Aug. 19.
The DPH notices say the hearings are not "adjudicatory in nature, but rather public forums for the presentation of any comments which may be relevant to the Department's consideration of the proposed change."
The Boston City Council is scheduled to take up a resolution Wednesday seeking an emergency declaration tied to Steward Health Care's plan to shutter Carney Hospital at the end of the month.
The resolution, sponsored by Councilors John FitzGerald and Ed Flynn, urges the city and the Boston Public Health Commission to declare a public health emergency and to "take all possible steps necessary to preserve the operations of Carney Hospital, and ensure that Steward is following all state and local laws."
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