'A time of hardship': Governor visits Brockton to pledge support in wake of hospital fire
BROCKTON – Gov. Maura Healey ended a five-hour tour of Brockton on Thursday with a visit to the swamped emergency department at Good Samaritan Medical Center.
"We came back here today to say, 'Thank you,'" the first-term Democrat said to employees who'd taken a brief pause in their duties. "We know you were already overburdened before the fire."
Good Samaritan Medical Center is one of three hospitals taking up the most slack from the closing of Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital after a 10-alarm fire on Feb. 7.
The others are Morton Hospital in Taunton and South Shore Hospital in Weymouth.
Despite the overworked conditions at the Good Samaritan emergency room, the vibe remained calm and orderly. Outside each of the emergency room's rooms, overflow patients were on gurneys.
Many wore light-blue scrubs indicating they were there for behavioral health reasons. People in need of in-patient mental health beds have faced long waits in emergency room hallways statewide, even before the shuttering of Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital.
Authorities hope to partially reopen the hospital within three months.
Thanking firefighters at Station 1
Healey made four stops in Brockton, all them related to the fire and aftermath. She began at the Brockton Fire Department's historic Station 1 on Pleasant Street. Accompanied by Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and a gaggle of Brockton politicians and media, the two shook hands with firefighters who were taking a training on how to deal with fires sparked by lithium ion batteries.
Mayor Robert Sullivan thanked the firefighters, noting that there were no reported injuries in the massive, complex evacuation.
"If the fire doors fail that day, it would have been like Kurt Russell's movie 'Backdraft' and everybody upstairs, we would have lost," the mayor said.
In remarks to the press outside the station, Kate Walsh, Healey's newly appointed head of Health and Human Services, urged residents to get the medical attention they need, even if it means going to a facility farther away.
"Please don't defer care," the secretary said.
Walsh said she did not think the situation requires calling out the National Guard, an idea that's been floating around as Brockton and the state scramble to deal with the gaping hole left by the temporary loss of Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital. Healey said state officials are holding daily calls to support Brockton and the surrounding area.
"It is a time of hardship. That said, it is a time where we know that Brockton will see it's way through," the governor said.
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New pharmacy opening at BNHC
The governor and entourage next visited Brockton Neighborhood Health Center around the corner. BNHC has also seen more patients since authorities closed Brockton Hospital. The center will open a new pharmacy just to the right of the center's main entrance this month. A dozen windows, each bordered with green or blue frosted glass, await patients.
"If you ask for something, I know you need it," Walsh said to Sue Joss, the longtime CEO of Brockton Neighborhood Health Center.
Patient visits are up about 30% since Brockton Hospital closed, Joss said. The ask from BNHC was simple, according to Maria Celli, the center's deputy CEO.
"Staffing and the money to pay for it," Celli said.
The visitors also toured the third floor. Michelle Hoffman, the lead certified nurse-midwife in the center's obstetrics and gynecology department, paused to talk with the governor and lieutenant governor, filling them in on how she and others quickly gained attending permissions at Good Sam. She didn't take much time, though, as she had to get back to work.
"Maria, I'm ready for the next one," she said to a coworker.
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First of two new urgent care centers is open
From there, the governor's group visited the first of two planned urgent care centers. The first one is at 110 Liberty St., in an area that two weeks ago was an eye-care unit. A second urgent care location is expected to open Monday at Brockton Hospital. While the 110 Liberty St. is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., the one at the hospital will be open 24 hours a day, said Lorraine McGrath, associate vice president of marketing and communications for Signature Healthcare, which owns Brockton Hospital.
Ward 7 City Councilor Shirley Asack said she was glad to see the state's top leaders see the situation in person.
"To me, the governor and lieutenant governor being here, it shows that Brockton is important to them," said Asack.
Aside from the obvious medical needs, she said she hoped Healey and Driscoll also noticed the "dire shape" of Brockton's streets.
Send your news tips to reporter Chris Helms by email at CHelms@enterprisenews.com or connect on Twitter at @HelmsNews. Thank you, subscribers. You make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Brockton Enterprise.
This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton Hospital fire: Gov. Maura Healey tours BNHS, Good Sam ER
