At least 3 months until Brockton Hospital even partially reopens for inpatient care

Chris Helms, The Enterprise
·2 min read

BROCKTON – Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital may open for "limited outpatient services" in three months, Signature Healthcare announced.

It's the first official hint of a timeline to end what Mayor Robert Sullivan calls a citywide crisis.

"It's a medical emergency to not have two hospitals in the city of Brockton," the mayor said at a Ward 6 meeting Thursday night.

A multiple-alarm transformer fire broke out in a basement at Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital, forcing the evacuation of 187 patients, on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023.
A multiple-alarm transformer fire broke out in a basement at Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital, forcing the evacuation of 187 patients, on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023.

Authorities closed and evacuated Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital on Feb. 7 after a fire. Patients have swamped Brockton's other hospital, Good Samaritan Medical Center, since then. South Shore Hospital in Weymouth has also seen increased volumes.

Signature Healthcare, which owns the hospital, released a three-phase plan on Thursday at 4 p.m.

Phase 1: Open new urgent care centers

Signature Healthcare has many buildings in Brockton outside the hospital. It plans to expand the hours at outpatient locations. It said all its ambulatory locations are "fully staffed" and accepting patients.

Signature Healthcare also plans to open two new urgent care centers in Brockton over the next two weeks. "Urgent care" centers offer walk-in treatment and are generally open longer hours than doctors' offices. The new urgent care centers will be at 110 Liberty St. and 650 Centre St. Both will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day.

Phase 2: Partially reopen hospital

The city has been humming with rumors about how long Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital might be closed. Signature Healthcare said its goal is to reopen with limited inpatient services in about three months. A lot of things have to go right for that to happen, including being able to get parts and materials in the face of supply-chain difficulties. A series of experts will also have to sign off on the hospital reopening.

Sullivan hinted at the scale of the repairs needed, saying Thursday that the hospital's electrical system is "gone." The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Newborn babies are evacuated at Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital after a transformer fire broke out in the basement of a building on the campus on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023.
Newborn babies are evacuated at Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital after a transformer fire broke out in the basement of a building on the campus on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023.

Phase 3: Open more hospital services

Signature Healthcare said it would phase-in additional hospital services after it begins limited inpatient services. The company said it will decide which services to reopen based on evaluations and supply chains.

"Signature Healthcare’s mission remains unchanged, to support our community and deliver medically necessary services to all in need regardless of status or ability to pay," the company said in a Thursday note posted to its website. "Brockton Hospital has been a long-standing institution in the City of Champions for over 125 years. We plan to be here for the next 125 years, fulfilling the same mission to care for our community."

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This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton Hospital eyes partial reopening around May after major fire