Threats to Healthcare in Massachusetts

Steward Health Care’s financial challenges and recent bankruptcy have sent ripples through Eastern Massachusetts’ already stressed healthcare system. The story is just the most recent example of healthcare events (bankruptcies and closures) that have made access to care in Massachusetts more challenging for those organizations left standing.

• The Norwood Hospital closed in 2020 following a catastrophic flood; it remains closed to this day.
• An electrical fire closed Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital in February 2023. The hospital is making significant progress on rebuilding and will reopen later this year (2024).
• The 2023 bankruptcy of Massachusetts-based Compass Medical left roughly 70,000 patients without primary care, diminished access to specialty care, and left its East Bridgewater medical office building empty.
• And now, the Steward Health Care bankruptcy and the looming threat of more hospital closures. Steward actively operates 7 hospitals in Massachusetts.

Following the closures of Norwood Hospital and Brockton Hospital, community hospitals in the region (including Steward Health Care’s Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton) were severely tested. Good Samaritan reported its ED volume nearly doubling. Nearby South Shore Hospital reported up to 7-hour wait times in their ED.

Interestingly, although the fire recovery kept Brockton Hospital closed, Signature Healthcare stepped in and reopened Compass Medical’s 65,000 square-foot medical office building in East Bridgewater. Their goal was to meet the healthcare needs of those impacted by Compass’ closure, people in the communities that are adjacent to Signature’s service area. Signature provided staff for the facility, reopened the urgent care, expanded specialty care access, and made a concerted effort to hire former Compass providers who were displaced when Compass shut its doors.

Signature’s marketing team along with their agency partner, Jennings Healthcare Marketing, developed communications to reach out to former Compass patients and Compass providers. Below is the long-form introductory video Jennings produced to share the news that Signature was stepping in to fill the void created by Compass’ sudden departure. One of the goals of this video was to inform people from the East Bridgewater area about Signature Healthcare and the services it offers. We also wanted them to be comfortable with Signature as a new, long-term option for meeting their healthcare needs.

We produced shorter versions of the introductory video for social media. Two examples of shorter cuts appear below.

Although Massachusetts is facing significant challenges due to instability in the healthcare space, Signature Healthcare has been able to expand its reach and provide much-needed services at a time characterized by stress and uncertainty. Signature’s move to fill the void left by Compass Medical is a clear expression of the organization’s commitment to its mission. As we learn more about the implications of Steward’s bankruptcy, I believe we can expect other regional and community hospitals in Massachusetts to take the necessary steps to ensure access to high-quality care.

(Examples of print ads promoting Signature’s arrival in East Bridgewater.)