This will be the 12th maternity service closure in Massachusetts – five of which have occurred in Gateway Cities – since 2010. The state technically doesn’t have any maternity care deserts – counties without hospitals or birth centers offering obstetric care, and no obstetric providers. But recent losses have experts and advocates sounding the alarm.
Hospitals
Posted inHealth Care
Suspension of maternity services at Mercy Medical Center sparks fears of permanent closure
Mercy Medical Center in Springfield announced last week that it plans to temporarily halt maternity and newborn services at its Family Life Center starting December 8, sparking fears the hospital will be next in a decade-long trend of statewide maternity unit closures in a region where labor and delivery options have already dwindled.Â
Posted inThe Saturday Send
The long-term affects of Steward Health Care’s bankruptcy and four more stories
Hallie Claflin does a deep dive into the long-term affects of Steward Health Care’s bankruptcy filing, and what hospital closures could mean for the Healey administration going forward. Plus: Universities and businesses grapple with the prospect of lower international enrollment in Boston-area schools, permitting can’t catch up to demand for new housing, state senators question sheriff spending, and more.
Posted inHealth Care
When communities lose trust: One year after Steward Health’s bankruptcy and the death of two hospitals
One year after Steward Health Care’s demise, the Nashoba Valley and Dorchester communities are grappling with strained EMS services, diminished access to care, and trust that has been broken. Local leaders, hospital staff, and residents say they are a testament to the devastation that lingers after communities lose their critical infrastructure.
Posted inState Government
Beacon Hill lobbying still buoyed by health care interests
New data shows that lobbying remained a lucrative industry in the first half of 2025, especially for firms that count health care companies among their clients.
Posted inHealth Care
Red lights on the way to health care
When hospitals close, communities reel. Even in well-covered Massachusetts, some regions of the state still struggle to access its nation-leading health care. And after decades of hospital consolidation, the system is staring down federal changes likely to make the hard job of providing care for underserved communities even more challenging.
Posted inOpinion
Why are hospital ICUs so full now?
This is another  in a series of conversations between Dr. Jarone Lee, a frontline critical care and emergency physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and associate professor at Harvard Medical School, […]
Posted inHealth Care
Hospitals lost money during COVID
IT MAY BE counterintuitive, but experts have long been saying that the public health emergency actually lowered the amount of money being spent on health care. The reason is that […]
Posted inHealth Care
A report from the frontlines at MGH
DR. JARONE LEE, a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, is very worried as predictions of infection rates run as high as 60 percent […]
Posted inThe Download
A report from the frontlines at MGH
Dr. Jarone Lee, a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, is very worried as predictions of infection rates run as high as 60 […]
Posted inUncategorized
Doctors: Immigration crackdown raising health care concerns
AT A LEGISLATIVE BRIEFING Wednesday hosted by lawmakers seeking passage of the Safe Communities Act, physicians, pediatricians, and domestic abuse prevention advocates shared anecdotes about undocumented immigrants refusing to seek […]
Posted inHealth Care
Data breaches expose no-teeth regulations
Massachusetts General Hospital says it is trying to contact 9,900 individuals who were either patients or participants in neurological studies about a third-party privacy breach that occurred in June for […]
Posted inThe Download
Data breaches expose no-teeth regulations
Massachusetts General Hospital says it is trying to contact 9,900 individuals who were either patients or participants in neurological studies about a third-party privacy breach that occurred in June for […]
Posted inOpinion
Mass. has hospital readmissions problem
THERE IS A great deal to celebrate in Massachusetts following the Health Policy Commission’s recent Cost Trends Hearing. The Commonwealth’s healthcare spending growth was well below the national average in […]
Posted inOpinion
Yes on 3 is a healthy choice
ALL OF US know that accessing basic health care and emergency medical care treatment is essential to taking care of ourselves and our families. This November, voters will have a […]
Posted inOpinion
A missed healthcare opportunity
MASSACHUSETTS MISSED AN opportunity to address some of the most crucial healthcare challenges facing the state when the Legislature failed to reach agreement on a sweeping reform bill this session. […]
Posted inEconomy
Health care watchdog: BI-Lahey merger will hike costs
A REPORT ON by the state’s health care industry watchdog analyzing the proposed merger of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Lahey Health says the marriage won’t produce the kinds of […]
Posted inHealth Care
BI-Lahey merger gets a break on cost growth
STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS stripped language from a document that would have required the merger of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Lahey Health to prove they’ll meet legislatively mandated cost […]
Posted inOpinion
Electronic opioid scripts save lives
A HEARING EARLIER this month on Beacon Hill underscored the critical need for Massachusetts-specific solutions to the nation’s opioid crisis. As the Legislature prepares next steps to address this critical […]
Posted inHealth Care, State House News Service
Report documents community hospital woes
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE COMMUNITY HOSPITALS IN MASSACHUSETTS face a “self-reinforcing cycle of challenges” that makes their traditional business model unsustainable as more patients choose larger academic medical centers like […]
Posted inHealth Care, The Download
Partners: We’re No. 1
Partners HealthCare has been taking a lot of hits from state policymakers and business rivals, but the hospital network is receiving accolades elsewhere. US News & World Report just released […]