FALL RIVER — Tracy Bishop, an employee at St. Ann's Hospital for the past 20 years, said the facility is more than just a workplace.
“This is a family hospital. My grandparents were here. My children, my husband, my mother were here. It's more than just keeping the doors open. It's a family. It's a community,” she said. .
She and dozens of others attended an hour-long vigil Thursday afternoon at Kennedy Park, across from St. Anne's. Labor and their allies face a financial crisis that could close hospitals like St. Anne's, destabilize patient care for more than 200,000 state residents and severely impact the downstream economy. and held placards to urge new ownership of the Steward Healthcare facility. .
Loss calculation:What will happen if St. Ann's Hospital closes?
The Fall River rally is one of seven across the state hosted by Our Community Our Hospital, a coalition of health care workers and organizations that includes businesses, community, labor and faith-based groups. There is one. The coalition is advocating for public officials to protect Steward's nine facilities across the state and for transparency in the process.
Several speakers on Thursday called for nonprofit solutions to the crisis, noting that Steward is a for-profit health care company.
“I have to be here because of the greed of the parasites at the top who are putting profit over people and planning to potentially shut down local hospitals that are already running out of beds. I’m outraged,” Brian Dunn said. Massachusetts AFL-CIO. “People are already experiencing too long wait times. This is going to cost lives.”
How Steward Health Care went into financial trouble and how it will affect Fall River
In January, boston globe An investigation found that Steward, one of the nation's largest health care companies with hospitals throughout the state, including Taunton, Brockton and Boston, is $50 million behind in rent payments to Medical Properties Trust. There was found.
In its national expansion drive over the past decade, Steward sold its properties to and leased back from MPT. The debt owed to landlords is compounded by lawsuits over unpaid bills to contractors.
Steward announced in February that it would enter into a financing agreement with lenders to maintain operations and pay down debt. If Steward does not meet the requirements of the agreement by the end of April, he could face bankruptcy.
It is unclear whether St. Anne's Hospital will close. But closing the 100-year-old hospital means thousands of jobs will be lost in and around Fall River, as well as other supportive jobs, and millions of dollars in lost tax revenue. there's a possibility that.
But April Jennison, an organizer with the Social Justice Coalition, told the crowd that the dire situation is not just about finances.
When a hospital closes, the question is whether it's a new mother experiencing a complicated labor and birth, or an elderly grandmother showing symptoms of a stroke. “This is an 18-year-old student who was involved in a car accident,” she said. – All those who need life-saving care when every second counts. ”
Mayor Paul Coogan said he was working with state authorities to ensure St. Anne's had a future.
“St. Ann's should not be closed or downsized in any way. This is an important element for the public health of the City of Fall River and surrounding towns,” he said.
Hospital emergency rooms are already at maximum capacity.
Meetings have been held at Morton Hospital in Taunton, Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton, and Carney Hospital in Boston.
The other is scheduled for St Elizabeth's in Brighton on Monday, the day before Steward's loan deal expires.
Throughout the rally, employees and supporters pointed out that Steward Hospital serves a vulnerable, low-income community and already suffers from a lack of resources and overcrowded emergency rooms.
Jason Burns, president of the International Association of Firefighters Local 1314, the union that represents the city's firefighters, and vice president of District 8 of the Massachusetts Association of Professional Firefighters, said St. Ann's could close. If this were to occur, it would have devastating downstream effects. He said the hospital's ER is already at maximum capacity and he's concerned firefighters won't have anywhere to take patients who need urgent help.
“The idea that we're even talking about potential cuts to services doesn't make sense to me,” Burns said. “We need more services. We need more beds. We need more availability. We need to be there for our employees and give them the resources they need.
“Keep fighting. Stay strong. You will win,” he told the crowd.
Dan Medeiros can be reached at dmedeiros@heraldnews.com. Please support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to the Herald He News today.
