Lawmakers and nurses plan to rally in Ayer, Massachusetts, on Tuesday morning to protest the closure of Nashoba Valley Medical Center and urge Gov. Maura Healey to implement a state law requiring 120 days’ notice before closing a medical facility.
A similar rally was held in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood on Monday.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu joined city, state and local lawmakers, the Massachusetts Nurses Association and Kearney Hospital employees in protesting the hospital’s closure Monday morning.
In fact, two Boston City Council members have drafted a resolution calling on the city’s Public Health Commission to declare a state of emergency and seize Carney Hospital’s Dorchester property to keep the facility open.
This comes after Steward Health Care asked the bankruptcy court to postpone for two weeks a Wednesday hearing on the sale of six other Massachusetts hospitals.
Steward said lease terms and the state’s $30 million in financial assistance have yet to be finalized.
Wu said the fight to keep the two remaining hospitals open continues but options are limited.
“The problem is that private, for-profit entities that aren’t subject to the same regulations have very limited options because they’ve gone through the legal process to get to this stage,” Wu said.
A rally to save Nashoba Valley Medical Center will be held at 9 a.m. Tuesday at Ayr Town Hall.
