The closure forced patients to go elsewhere, causing wait times in other emergency rooms to spike.
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Brockton Hospital will reopen this week following an 18-month closure caused by a massive electrical fire early last year that shocked patients and staff.
Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital, which will open back up on Tuesday, announced there will be an updated emergency department with a 12-unit behavioral health triage unit and a new outpatient surgical facility among other improvements.
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In February 2023, the 10-alarm response sent firefighters rushing to the scene from all across the region. The fire started in the electrical equipment room and forced 176 patients to be transferred from the hospital.
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The extended closure left Good Samaritan Medical Center as the only major emergency room open in Brockton. It forced patients to go elsewhere, causing wait times in other emergency departments to spike.
"Our surrounding hospitals had to pick up the slack. And with some issues at Steward, it just created long wait times up to 24, 36 hours," said Jeff Thompson, of Brockton City Council.
Still, more than a year after the blaze, Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital says three units -- maternity, pediatric and behavioral health -- will remain closed.
While the reopening may have taken a year and a half, emergency officials say they're still thankful that no one got hurt in the fire.
