NORWOOD — The finish line is suddenly within sight.

The Norwood Hospital Task Force (NHTF) thanks the Massachusetts Legislature for enacting emergency public health legislation Friday to clear the way for a speedy revitalization of Norwood Hospital.

The legislation, H.5553, allows the state to take the Norwood Hospital property by eminent domain and transfer it to a new, nonprofit operator, helping to preserve the future of the regional acute care facility and potentially save lives across the region.

“This moment reflects years of effort, advocacy and perseverance by so many who believed we could reach this point,” said Norwood General Manager Tony Mazzucco. “This is a testament to the strength, persistence and unity of this community. For years, this effort has asked a great deal of many people. It has required patience in moments of uncertainty, resolve in the face of setbacks, and, above all, a belief that Norwood could see this through.”

The bill, which has now passed both the state House of Representatives and Senate, will be sent to the desk of Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey.

“Enough is enough,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “Our Norfolk County and Greater Boston neighbors who relied on Norwood Hospital deserve more than a partially finished building that should have been completed years ago. It’s time for a responsible party to step in and finish the job.”

Norwood Town officials, first responders, business owners and residents joined efforts with their peers from towns across the region, including Walpole, Wrentham, Sharon, Canton, Dedham, Foxborough and Mansfield. Together they formed the Norwood Hospital Task Force, sparked the Finish Norwood Hospital campaign, and have been advocating for the resurrection of this vital health care resource.

Once the bill becomes law, the legislation will authorize the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance, subject to appropriation, to acquire the property and transfer it to the Department of Public Health, which could then convey it to a qualified nonprofit hospital operator.

“For too long, our region has paid the price while Steward abandoned this hospital, drove the company into bankruptcy, and walked away, leaving a half-built shell and families with nowhere close to turn in an emergency,” said Senate Majority Whip Michael F. Rush (D-Boston), the lead Senate sponsor of the legislation. “After Steward’s private equity backers cashed out, Medical Properties Trust was left holding this site. Despite years of our best efforts, the owner has stonewalled the sale of the property to a competent provider and bargained with people’s lives.”

Residents across the region once served by Norwood Hospital have faced serious public health risks since the facility’s closure by now-bankrupt Steward Health Care, a for-profit health care system. The new legislation would initiate a public process for the state to responsibly follow through where Steward failed and ensure that Norwood Hospital returns to operation.

“Our constituencies are eager to regain adequate access to a fully functioning hospital nearby,” said Walpole Select Board Member James O’Neil, who serves as Walpole’s representative to the Norwood Hospital Task Force. “We’re fully committed to seeing this project through to the end, and our team gets bigger and more motivated with each step in the right direction.”

Legislative sponsors attached a provision marking the bill as an emergency law “necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health,” which means it would take effect immediately upon the Governor’s signature, rather than after a default waiting period of 90 days.

Filed earlier this year, the bill was reviewed by the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, which held a public hearing to hear from impacted residents.

A contingent representing the communities surrounding Norwood attended the hearing and spoke passionately about Norwood Hospital’s absence and how it has been felt by communities across the region.

“The Legislature has heard from residents of Norwood and the surrounding communities about the urgent need for access to quality health care services,” said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy). “After the devastating flood in 2020 and the collapse of Steward Health Care in 2024, families in the region have faced significant challenges accessing the care that they need. It is our hope that an operator can now restore Norwood Hospital and ensure that this community once again has reliable access to quality health care.”

The joint committee advanced a new draft of the legislation, which was amended and passed by the House of Representatives in early July. The Senate passed the bill last week, sending it back to the House for further consideration. The Massachusetts Legislature announced the emergency public health legislation, H.5553, had been formally enacted on Friday, July 31.

Mike Connors, of Norwood, the recently retired Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Cape Cod Healthcare, has been leading a petition effort calling for the reopening of Norwood Hospital.

“Thank you for your efforts and emails to the legislators,” Connors said following the July 27 Senate vote. “This is a time for cautious optimism, but I’m confident our momentum will continue to build and we will succeed in our mission to reopen Norwood Hospital.”

Gov. Healey is expected to sign the bill into law within 10 days.

“This moment is meaningful, but it is not the end of the work,” said Mazzucco. “There are still important steps ahead and a long road before us. We will need the same spirit of collaboration and the same willingness to fight for a better future to see this through to completion. This is, in many ways, the end of the beginning. But today, we pause to recognize how far we have come — and the people who made it possible. Norwood has shown what a community can do when it refuses to give up on itself.”

To follow the Finish Norwood Hospital campaign, visit the campaign website or the campaign’s socials: Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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