Southeastern, MA health care 'in crisis' even without hospital closings. How bad is it?

TAUNTON — With the fate of Steward hospitals like Morton in Taunton hanging in the balance, State Sen. Marc Pacheco said Southeastern Massachusetts and the Cape and Islands “cannot withstand any further loss of healthcare in terms of hospital closings.”

“That just can’t happen. It would be a threat to the region’s health, when we’re already in a crisis situation,” the Taunton Democrat said at a state hearing in Taunton Wednesday, April 24, on the precarious state of healthcare in this region of the state.

The hearing of the Senate Post Audit & Oversight Committee, which Pacheco chairs, took place against the backdrop of the ongoing financial crisis enveloping Steward Health Care, which owns eight hospitals in Massachusetts, including Morton, Saint Anne’s in Fall River and Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton

The Executive Director of the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission Dave Seltz highlighted deficiencies within the region, compared to other parts of the state, emphasizing the challenges already faced by the population here when it comes to healthcare access.

Bristol county has a higher percentage than the state average of uninsured residents, as well as residents who report having difficulty affording medical bills and prescription drugs, he said. Here's what he said:

Bristol County residents more likely to be uninsured

• In Bristol County 4.9% or residents are uninsured, compared to 2.4% statewide

• In Bristol County 19.6% of residents report problems affording medical bills, compared to 12.5% statewide

• In Bristol County 9.6% of residents report problems paying for prescriptions, compared to 7.9% statewide

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Staffing shortages in Bristol and Plymouth counties

When it comes to staffing, Bristol and Plymouth counties have fewer healthcare clinicians, such as doctors and nurses, per capita than the statewide average, and employment in doctors offices and hospitals was down 4-6% in these counties from pre-pandemic levels, while the state overall saw slight increases above the baseline, Seltz said.

Katie Murphy, a nurse at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and president of the Massachusetts Nurses Association, said there are enough nurses and other medical professionals graduating in the state. The problems have been retaining them, as well as mitigating burnout due to deficiencies in the hospitals.

“The biggest concern is the circumstances for nurses and other professions under which we work,” she said, citing medical units constantly at capacity with patients and equipment and supply shortages.

“Every second counts with care,” she said, adding nurses shouldn’t have to go “floor-to-floor” looking for supplies needed at that moment.

Murphy said further hospital closures would place the burden on other facilities already at capacity.

She said there were well over 100 hospitals in the state in 1960. In 2024, there are only 67 hospitals, despite the steady population increase over the decades, due to one-third of the state’s health care system either being privatized or closed.

Seltz said the combination of capacity and staffing challenges creates “bottlenecks at every stage of the care continuum” where patients are waiting longer for beds as patients have longer stays in hospitals.

“This region cannot afford any further reductions in capacity,” said Dr. Robert Goldstein, commissioner for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Read her own words Morton Hospital president and CEO committed to Taunton hospital

Morton Hospital CEO testifies

Morton Hospital CEO Heidi Taylor told the committee, “This hospital is part of my identity.”

Taylor said “Morton has never been stronger” these last few years when it comes to operations. Taylor said the employee turnover rate at Morton is actually below the national average for healthcare workers, while the retention rate for staff at the hospital has risen over the years.

“We have the same challenges as other hospitals, but we made significant strides in growth and meeting the demands of the community,” she said.

When asked for further comment after her testimony, Taylor pointed to what she said in her recent letter to the community published in the Gazette: “So, let me just say – there are no plans to close Morton Hospital. We are wholeheartedly dedicated to our community and look forward to continuing to call Taunton home and delivering the exceptional care you’ve come to expect from us.”

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Steward financial crisis

Back in January Steward Health Care made national headlines with the bombshell revelation that it owed at least $50 million in rent to its landlord, real estate firm Medical Properties Trust, and was dealing with numerous lawsuits across the country over unpaid bills to vendors.

Massachusetts secretary of Health and Human Services Kate Walsh, the state's top health care official, assured lawmakers Wednesday that the state is prepared to respond to the next turn in the Steward Health Care crisis, mentioning the potential for a bankruptcy filing, acknowledging that receivership has been discussed, and touching on efforts to pressure-test contingency plans designed to ensure uninterrupted access to patient care.

"Every day at 7:30, we have a stand-up call with leaders across government, external counsel, people across the health care system, other colleagues in other parts of government, to discuss what we know, what we've learned and how we're going to proceed," Walsh told the Senate Post Audit and Oversight Committee. "We also have expert advisors to guide us with respect to a national bankruptcy if that were to occur."

While acknowledging "there's much about this situation that we don't control" and that "people are understandably really worried," Walsh said Gov. Maura Healey's administration's goals in navigating the crisis are protecting access to care and jobs, and making sure the health care needs of residents are met.

With reporting by State House News Service

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Taunton Senate health care hearing: Southeastern, MA 'in crisis'