Healey forms working group for areas that lost hospitals in Steward closures

Almost a month after Carney Hospital and Nashoba Valley Medical Center closed their doors to patients, Gov. Maura Healey said Wednesday her administration is launching two working groups to assess future care options for communities around Dorchester and Ayer.

Stakeholders representing various health care settings and levels of government will be tasked with producing recommendations to "promote equitable access to care," based on data, community feedback and input from working group members, Healey's office said. The groups will also help their communities navigate the aftermath of the Steward Health Care crisis, including tackling issues tied to continuity of care, health care transitions and "reconfigurations" of services.

"While the acute care hospitals in these regions are closed, we look forward to working with the community leaders, other health care providers and elected officials to ensure that the health care needs of the region are met," Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh said in a statement. "We are excited to reimagine a health care delivery system that is centered on patients and the health needs of their community."

The Healey administration has repeatedly said it did not intervene to prevent the closure of Carney and Nashoba because there were no qualified operators willing to take the facilities over. After a series of compressed public hearings, the Department of Public Health determined both hospitals delivered "essential service necessary for preserving access and health status" in their areas -- though DPH also lacked the authority to keep the facilities open.

Steward's remaining Massachusetts hospitals are poised to transition to new owners, with sales expected to close next week.

The Nashoba Valley group will be led by Joanne Marqusee, assistant secretary in the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, and Robert Pontbriand, Ayer's town manager. Pontbriand said the group will develop a "proactive plan" focused on improving and protecting health care in the region.

"The foundation of our success will be working with the towns of the Nashoba Valley and our greatest resource -- our residents -- in an open, transparent, and collaborative manner as we develop a plan for an effective health care system for the Nashoba Valley," Pontbriand said. "This is a unique opportunity for us to turn the tragedy of what happened to the Nashoba Valley Medical Center into a success for not only the Nashoba Valley Region but for the Commonwealth."

The Dorchester group will be helmed by Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission, and Michael Curry, CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers. Members will assess how the Carney closure affects health equity and offer recommendations to city and state leaders.

"As we plan for the future, the City of Boston looks forward to working with the state and other stakeholders to ensure that the former Carney hospital site remains a necessary resource for health and wellness for our city's residents," Ojikutu said.

The Healey administration did not outline all of the group members but broadly said they will include providers in hospitals and health centers, physicians, public health officials, labor leaders, emergency service providers, community leaders, and elected and local government officials. A Healey spokesperson said the groups are still being developed.

Congresswoman Lori Trahan, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Rep. Margaret Scarsdale are part of the Nashoba Valley group, Healey's office said.

"In our work with first responders every day, we see firsthand the immediate impact on the people we serve of longer transports, delayed responses and heightened stress in critical situations," Ryan said. "In some places, patients, including victims of violent crime, are now facing significant wait and travel time to care that may be the difference between life or death."

Losing Nashoba Valley Medical Center is a "major blow" to the region, Scarsdale said, particularly after the recent losses of the Leominster birthing center and hospice care branch of the Nashoba Associated Boards of Health.

"I have heard loud and clear from our first responders and local residents: Our community hospital is vital to this region, and I am eager to continue this work -- alongside my colleagues on the Task Force -- to determine the path forward for restored and improved healthcare access in Nashoba Valley," Scarsdale, a Pepperell Democrat, said.