Norwood Regional Hospital was evacuated on June 28, 2020, during an emergency caused by catastrophic flooding. The flooding left behind damage so severe that the hospital needed to be demolished and rebuilt.
At the time of the incident, there were 130+ patients in the hospital, and no one was injured. Close to 40 towns were involved in the emergency response, from as far away as Plymouth.
The storm was considered a 500-year storm and a microburst that occurred simultaneously.
The original estimates were that it would take 3-4 weeks to get the hospital’s emergency room up and running.
Since the closure, the previous owner of Norwood Hospital, Steward Health Care, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and announced in October 2024 that the company would not renew the hospital’s license.
On Aug. 30, 2021, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health issued the emergency Determination of Need (DoN) to rebuild Norwood Hospital. Medical Properties Trust (MPT) has been rebuilding the hospital, but the Department of Public Health revoked the DoN for Norwood Hospital in the fall of 2024, citing Steward’s closure.