Opposition mounts against Healey's plan to close Canton children's hospital
Photo I Courtesy of PRHC/State House News Service
A view of Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children in Canton, which the Healey administration plans to close.
Dismayed by the looming closure of a state-run pediatric rehab hospital in Canton, more than 14,300 people have signed a petition calling on state officials to scrap their plan, and a powerful union is asking members to put pressure on Gov. Maura Healey to halt health care budget cuts.
Sen. Paul Feeney, whose district includes the Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children, said in a recent statement he's exploring a potential legislative solution to save the facility and is "deeply disappointed in this unilateral decision by the Department of Public Health."
Healey incorporated her administration's plan to shutter Pappas -- and relocate some services and patients to another state-run hospital in western Massachusetts -- into her fiscal 2026 budget proposal, which is expected to save the state $31 million.
Budget debates in the House and Senate will unfold this spring and likely last through mid-summer, while DPH says the bulk of hospital "transitions" are slated for the fall.
Pappas, a 60-bed state public health hospital serving patients ages 7-22+ with cognitive and physical disabilities, offers 24/7 nursing care, therapeutic services, on-site education, recreational programming, and transitional services to promote independence and community integration.
A DPH spokesperson said the Pappas shutdown does not require legislative approval and is also not subject to the essential service closure process that most hospitals face, but health care workers and unions have decried the administration's plan. The state also intends to close Pocasset Mental Health Center, a 16-bed psychiatric hospital in Cape Cod, and slash the number of Department of Mental Health case managers from 340 to 170.
Feeney told the News Service Wednesday he's received an "absolute outpouring of support" from constituents who want to save Pappas, as well as House and Senate colleagues asking how they can protect the hospital. Feeney said he wants the Healey administration to pause its closure plan and find other cost-cutting measures in the budget beyond closing Pappas.
"This is an important piece for us to kind of step back and say if this is strictly a fiscal decision, then work with us in the Legislature to be creative," Feeney said. "Judging by the calls, and the emails, and people literally stopping me in the district, and text messages, and all the outreach, there is no doubt in my mind that Pappas is worth saving."
When the Senate tackles the budget, which is traditionally in May, the Foxborough Democrat said he's prepared to file a proposal to pause the closure and enable officials to study the issue.
Rep. Bill Galvin, who lives in Canton and represents the town, said he's also working with stakeholders, officials and others to encourage the Healey administration to "reverse this decision." He said Healey's plan was a "unilateral decision by the Administration without input from stakeholders and community members."
"I believe this proposal is short-sighted and not beneficial to the children and young adults who count on the Pappas," he said in a statement.
Karen Leahy, a longtime registered nurse at Pappas, said DPH Commissioner Robbie Goldstein visited the hospital last Wednesday to share the closure news. Patients and staff were blindsided, Leahy said.
"It was horrible. There were a lot of tears," Leahy said. "We have quite a lot of DCF children. They do not have a family -- we are their family, and Pappas is their home."
With enough public awareness and an upcoming informational picket outside Pappas, Leahy said she's optimistic the hospital will remain open.
As of 10:30 a.m. Thursday, a Change.org petition had attracted 14,335 signatures. It calls on state and local officials to "reverse the decision" to close Pappas, recognize the hospital's "critical role" in providing medical care and other services, and ensure children "continue to receive the comprehensive care they deserve."
"Simply attempting to relocate these specialized services is not a viable solution. The care provided at PRHC—spanning medical treatment, therapies, education, peer interaction, and inclusion—cannot be replicated elsewhere," states the petition, which was started by Caitlin Roche, community engagement manager at Roche Bros. Supermarkets.
A former therapeutic recreation team member at Pappas, Roche wrote that she's "witnessed firsthand the profound impact this institution has on both its patients and staff."
"Closing PRHC is not just a loss of a healthcare facility, but the loss of a sanctuary where children find care, community, and hope," she wrote.
The Massachusetts AFL-CIO on Wednesday afternoon launched a letter-writing campaign to the governor, encouraging members to protest Healey's health care budget cuts.
"The Healey-Driscoll Administration's budget proposes closing Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children and Pocasset Mental Health Center which would result in the layoffs of 300 workers and the displacement of over 50 patients, in addition to laying off 170 Department of Mental Health caseworkers, restricting resources for at-home health care, and potentially raising insurance costs for tens of thousands of current and retired state employees," the union said. "Massachusetts has a mental health crisis and these actions will only exacerbate the already dire situation."
DPH attributes the closure to deteriorating facility conditions at Pappas, which officials say cannot accommodate the technology and "high-acuity" care that patients need. Goldstein called the move "necessary" and said officials will help Pappas workers find new employment opportunities.
To bolster services for children with complex medical needs, DPH says a new 25-bed wing at the Western Massachusetts Hospital in Westfield will house a pediatric care program with "enhanced medical infrastructure."
"It's going to be like a warehouse for them," Leahy said of transferring patients from Pappas, which sits on a 160-acre campus with a slew of outdoor activities, to WMH, which is about 100 miles away. "They're not going to get the care that they receive here."
Feeney called the closure a "self-fulling prophecy" after years of underinvestment at the hospital.
"There is a lot of land down there," he said. "There are many ways we can be creative in working with the administration to realize some savings, but at the same time, keep the place open."
Licensed hospitals that intend to reduce services or shutter their facilities are subject to DPH's essential service closure process, in which officials seek public input and ultimately determine whether the care is "necessary for preserving access and health status within the hospital's service area."
The process gave many opponents of Steward Health Care's closure of Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer, and Carney Hospital, an avenue to air their grievances, although those closures were implemented. DPH lacks the authority to keep a hospital open, even if it deems a service essential.
That process does not apply to Pappas. The hospital operates under "separate DPH authority" outlined in state statute and "therefore does not require separate DPH licensure and oversight," a DPH spokesperson told the News Service.
Pappas is one of four state public health hospitals overseen by DPH and accredited by The Joint Commission, a national nonprofit that monitors health care quality and safety. The other facilities are WMH, Lemuel Shattuck Hospital in Jamaica Plain and Tewksbury Hospital.
Transferring pediatric services from Pappas to WMH is subject to Joint Commission approval. The DPH spokesperson described that as a "straightforward process" that involves a 30-day notification, providing written information about "program elements" and hosting "verification visits."
While Healey's closure plan leaves out a formal path for public input, Bay Staters with close ties to Pappas are not staying quiet about their opposition.
Elizabeth and Jose Rivera, whose 18-year-old son was admitted to Pappas last month after a gunshot wound left him paralyzed from the waist down, said they plan to fight the closure.
Their son, Miguel, entered Pappas unable to turn on his side and take care of himself, but he's now gaining independence and using technology to stand up. Miguel loves visiting the farm on the hospital campus, and he has a goal to go horseback riding in a modified position, Jose Rivera said.
"If he goes to another facility, he may not be able to walk because they may not have the right equipment for him, and they may not work with him like these people are," said Jose Rivera, who noted his son was denied placement at other facilities, including the Westfield hospital. "They're going to close a rehab that kids make home."
Elizabeth Rivera said she has not been notified of a transition plan for Miguel yet. She emphasized that her son is "happy" at Pappas.
"If there are old buildings, well fix them. Don't close the whole place down because there's old buildings they're not using," she said. "There are kids out there that need this place."
Ann MacDonald, a former patient who struggles with mobility issues due to cerebral palsy, called Pappas "home."
Through her four years at hospital, MacDonald said she was able to attend school on-site, learn skills to become more independent, go on field trips to hockey and baseball games, and participate in a pen-pal program. She recalled zooming around the campus's track in her power wheelchair, going fishing in a wheelchair-accessible boat on the pond, and helping plan recreational activities.
"They are my life-changer -- they changed my life." MacDonald said of Pappas. "I just feel bad for the kids who are there right now."
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