NORWOOD, MASS. (WHDH) - A small group gathered Wednesday to protest a decision that will result in the loss of 61 inpatient psychiatric beds at Norwood Hospital once the hospital is rebuilt.
Heavy rain flooded the hospital in 2020, forcing the facility to close.
Just under three years later, Steward Health Care, which runs Norwood Hospital now plans to move the 61 psychiatric beds from Norwood to the Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton.
Some don’t agree with the plan.
“There are plans to build back a smaller hospital,” said psychiatrist George Sigel. “That’s fine with me, but the total omission of all mental health programming including substance abuse is egregious.”
“I think that it’s critically important to have local psych beds because the seniors and people that have psychiatric issues need a place to go,” said Norwood resident Pam Chubet.
Steward Health Care issued a statement this week, saying in part that it is “committed to being part of the solution in our region for improving access to behavioral health care.”
“This decision was made following careful deliberation about how Steward can ensure equitable access to all those in need of specialized psychiatric care, while also meeting local demand for non-psychiatric related services and alleviating emergency department boarding times,” Steward said.
Crews broke ground on the new Norwood Hospital in November of 2021.
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