NORWOOD — At the direction of Governor Maura Healey, Norwood General Manager Tony Mazzucco will lead a new working group to review the health care needs of the communities previously served by Norwood Hospital, which was closed by Steward Health Care due to a flood in 2020.
“The task will fall on us to do the heavy lifting. We need to find a viable operator with the capital to reopen Norwood Hospital,” said General Manager Mazzucco. “We’re going to put together a group with one purpose — to make this happen. Norwood’s situation is different from that of Nashoba Valley or Carney Hospital. We have a project underway and we are trying to reopen a hospital rather than repurposing it. Rep. Stephen Lynch, state Sen. Michael Rush, and state Rep. John Rogers have been instrumental in getting us to this point.”
“The closure of Norwood Hospital has left a huge gap in health care access for the entire region and impacts our entire health care system by overburdening other hospitals,” said Rep. Lynch. “I am grateful for Governor Healey’s support to create a Norwood Hospital Working Group so we can identify and pursue viable options that could eventually reopen Norwood Hospital. I will continue to work closely with my partners, Senator Mike Rush, Rep. John Rogers, Town Manager Tony Mazzucco, and others to make sure we find a sustainable path forward to reopen Norwood Hospital. Lives depend on it.”
“We know that Norwood and the region relied on Norwood Hospital, which has been left in limbo for years due to flood damage and Steward’s mismanagement,” said Governor Healey. “I welcome the creation of this working group and look forward to collaborating in this work to ensure access to high-quality health care in Norwood and the region.”
The working group will include health care providers that serve the region, public health officials, labor leaders, emergency service providers, community leaders and elected and local government officials and business leaders. The working group will publicize findings about the state of health care access in the region — including acute care in light of the Norwood Hospital closure — based on data, community feedback and input from key stakeholders with their ultimate goal of finding a suitable operator for Norwood Hospital.
The working group plans to begin work immediately.
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