close
close
orange

Taunton Senate Healthcare Hearing: Southeastern, MA ‘in crisis’

Vaseline

TAUNTON – With the fate of Steward hospitals like Morton in Taunton hanging in the balance, Senator Marc Pacheco said Southeastern Massachusetts and the Cape and Islands “cannot withstand any further loss of health care in terms of hospital closures.”

“That just can’t happen. It would be a threat to the health of the region when we are already in a crisis situation,” the Taunton Democrat said during a state hearing in Taunton on Wednesday, April 24, on the precarious state of health care in this region of the state.

The Senate Post Audit & Oversight Committee hearing, of which Pacheco chairs, came against the backdrop of the ongoing financial crisis surrounding Steward Health Care, owner of eight hospitals in Massachusetts including Morton, Saint Anne’s in Fall River and Good Samaritan Medical Center. in Brockton

Massachusetts Health Policy Commission Executive Director Dave Seltz highlighted the shortcomings within the region, compared to other parts of the state, and highlighted the challenges residents here already face when it comes to accessing health care.

Bristol County has a higher percentage of uninsured residents than the state average, as well as residents who report difficulty paying medical bills and prescription medications, he said. This is what he said:

Bristol County residents are more likely to be uninsured

  • In Bristol County, 4.9% of residents are uninsured, compared to 2.4% statewide
  • In Bristol County, 19.6% of residents report difficulty paying medical bills, compared to 12.5% ​​statewide
  • In Bristol County, 9.6% of residents report difficulty paying for prescriptions, compared to 7.9% statewide

‘Cutting the lifeline’ Patients and staff rally to prevent ‘devastating’ loss of Morton hospital during Steward crisis

Staff shortages in Bristol and Plymouth counties

When it comes to staffing levels, Bristol and Plymouth counties have fewer health care physicians and nurses per capita than the statewide average, and employment in physician practices and hospitals in these counties has declined by 4-6% compared to compared to pre-pandemic levels. while the state overall saw a slight increase above the baseline, Seltz said.

Katie Murphy, a nurse at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and president of the Massachusetts Nurses Association, said the state is graduating enough nurses and other medical professionals. The problems are retention and reducing burnout due to hospital deficiencies.

“The biggest concern is the conditions for nurses and other professions in which we work,” she said, citing medical units that are perpetually overloaded with patients and equipment and supply shortages.

“Every second counts in due diligence,” she said, adding that nurses should not have to go “from floor to floor” looking for supplies that are needed at that moment.

Murphy said further hospital closures would place a burden on other facilities that are already at capacity.

She said in 1960 there were more than 100 hospitals in the state. By 2024, there will be only 67 hospitals, despite steady population growth in recent decades, as a third of the state’s healthcare system has been privatized or closed.

Seltz said the combination of capacity and staffing challenges “creates bottlenecks at every stage of the care continuum,” with patients waiting longer for beds as patients spend longer in hospitals.

“This region cannot afford further reductions in capacity,” said Dr. Robert Goldstein, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Read her own words The president and CEO of Morton Hospital is committed to Taunton Hospital

The CEO of Morton Hospital testifies

Morton Hospital CEO Heidi Taylor told the committee: “This hospital is part of my identity.”

Taylor said, “Morton has never been stronger in recent years” when it comes to operations. Taylor said the staff turnover rate at Morton is actually below the national average for healthcare workers, while the retention rate for staff at the hospital has increased over the years.

“We face the same challenges as other hospitals, but we have made significant progress in growing and meeting the demands of the community,” she said.

When asked for further comment after her testimony, Taylor pointed to what she said in her recent letter to the community, published in the Gazette: “So let me say: there are no plans to close Morton Hospital. We are wholeheartedly committed to our community and look forward to continuing to call Taunton home and delivering the exceptional care you have come to expect.”

‘Bring one of your yachts to town’ Brockton Rally to Save Good Sam Beats Steward Exec

Manage financial crisis

In January, Steward Health Care made national headlines with the revelation that it owed at least $50 million in rent to its landlord, real estate company Medical Properties Trust, and was facing numerous lawsuits across the country over unpaid bills to suppliers.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Kate Walsh, the state’s top health care official, assured lawmakers Wednesday that the state is prepared to respond to the next twist in the Steward Health Care crisis. discussed, and addressed efforts to put pressure on contingency plans designed to ensure uninterrupted access to patient care.

“Every day at 7:30 p.m. we have a stand-up call with leaders in government, outside advisors, people in the health care system and other colleagues in other parts of government, to discuss what we know, what we’ve learned and what we have learned. how we move forward,” Walsh told the Senate Postal Audit and Oversight Committee. “We also have expert advisors to guide us regarding a national bankruptcy should that occur.”

While acknowledging “there is a lot about this situation that is out of our control” and that “people are understandably very concerned,” Walsh said the goals of Governor Maura Healey’s administration in navigating the crisis are to protect access to care and jobs, and ensure that residents’ health care needs are met.

With reporting by State House News Service

Related Posts