Boston: Members of Working Group Announced to Study Impact and Share Recommendations Following Carney Hospital Closure

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Today, the City of Boston announced the members of the working group that will assess community health needs following the closure of Carney Hospital, receive public feedback, and make recommendations to Governor Healey and Mayor Wu on next steps. The working group is co-chaired by Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, the Commissioner of Public Health for the City of Boston, and Michael Curry, the President and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers. The group will meet over the next three months and then issue recommendations to Governor Maura Healey and to Mayor Michelle Wu early next year about measures to address the impacts of the hospital closure and improve access to care.

With the closure of Carney Hospital on August 31, 2024, following Steward Health Care's bankruptcy proceedings, community members in the surrounding areas of Dorchester and Greater Boston are facing a gap in healthcare and emergency room access that neighboring hospitals will strain to meet. As City, State, and local healthcare providers are activated to address this gap in the short term, Governor Healey and Mayor Wu are moving to ensure a long-term plan for access at this site to meet community needs as quickly as possible, with a set of convenings to define the mix of health service needs that should drive the future of this site.

"The closure of Carney Hospital has left critical gaps in access to care. As the court's bankruptcy proceedings have reached some legal resolution to Steward's mismanagement, we must act quickly to address the future of quality healthcare on this site and bring community members together to reimagine and strengthen access," said Mayor Michelle Wu. "I'm grateful for the leadership of Co-Chairs Dr. Bisola Ojikutu and Michael Curry, and all the community stakeholders and experts who will work urgently with us to identify and map out next steps."

"I want to thank my co-chair Michael Curry and all the members of this working group for ensuring the closure of Carney Hospital does not deepen existing health inequities in Boston," said Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, Commissioner of Public Health for the City of Boston. "As we work together to identify gaps, assess needs, and listen to the community, I see this as an opportunity to find better, innovative ways to serve our residents, especially those who have been made vulnerable."

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"Dr. Ojikutu and I are proud to partner with a group of exceptional healthcare and community leaders to develop recommendations for the future of equitable care in this community," said Michael Curry, President and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers. "As we build a plan for the post-Carney future, the public's participation will be critical in fully understanding the impacts of this closure on residents and our healthcare system and informing innovative solutions that are for and by the community".

The working group will use data, community input, and feedback from stakeholders and aim to make recommendations following 90 days of convening and analysis. At least one meeting will provide an opportunity for public comment, and those details will be announced by the Boston Public Health Commission. The working group is also partnering with Health Care for All to expand access to the public for input and engagement. In addition to targeted outreach, Health Care for All will also host community visioning sessions that will be shared with the working group.

"The closure of a hospital represents more than just a loss of medical services – it affects jobs, emergency response, and the overarching feeling of reassurance in the area," said Massachusetts Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "Mindful of this, the work group brings together community members, health care leaders, public officials, and others to focus on the needs and concerns of the Dorchester region, gathering information, identifying gaps in care, proposing innovative solutions, and finding ways to equitably support those who had long counted on Carney Hospital."

"Health Care For All believes that elevating community voices during this crisis is vital. We will continue to work with community partners to hear from the diverse populations who have been directly impacted by the Carney Hospital closure. With their perspectives in mind, we look forward to participating in productive working group sessions under the leadership of co-chairs Dr. Bisola Ojikutu and Michael Curry," said Amy Rosenthal, Executive Director of Health Care For All.

The members of the Dorchester Region working group are:
  • Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, Boston Public Health Commission, co-chair
  • Michael Curry, Esq., Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, co-chair
  • Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, ex-officio
  • Congressman Stephen Lynch, ex-officio
  • State Senator Nick Collins, ex-officio
  • State Representative Brandy Fluker Oakley, ex-officio
  • City Councilor At-Large Ruthzee Louijeune, ex-officio
  • City Councilor John FitzGerald, ex-officio
  • Dr. Kiame Mahaniah, MA Executive Office of Health and Human Services, ex-officio
  • Dr. Robbie Goldstein, MA Department of Public Health, ex-officio
  • James Hooley, Chief of Boston EMS, ex-officio
  • Kairos Shen, City of Boston Chief of Planning, ex-officio
  • Amy Rosenthal, Health Care for All, ex-officio
  • Dr. Jean Bonnet, Hyde Park Health Associates
  • Lydia Conley, Association for Behavioral Healthcare
  • Lynn Cronin, Beth Israel Lahey Health
  • Bishop William E. Dickerson, Greater Love Tabernacle
  • Frank Doyle, Esq., FJD Health Care Consulting LLC
  • Dr. Guy Fish, Codman Square Health Center
  • Tim Foley, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East
  • Dr. Joe-Ann Gergus, Massachusetts Nurses Association
  • George Huynh, VietAID
  • Cynthia Loesch Johnson, Codman Square Neighborhood Council
  • Rob Koenig, Boston Medical Center Health System
  • Stan McLaren, Former President of Carney Hospital
  • Bart Mitchell, Community Builders
  • Vivien Morris, Mattapan Food & Fitness Coalition
  • Chris Skillin, Lower Mills Merchants Association
  • Darryl Smith, Total Care
  • Dr. Elsie Taveras, Massachusetts General Brigham
  • Guale Valdez, Mattapan Community Health Center
  • Dr. Monica Vohra, DotHouse Health

"Putting the drama of the Steward implosion and Carney Hospital closure aside, it is very much time to focus on the needs of the community and citizens of Dorchester who are now facing a sudden reduction in health care services. Every community deserves access to high quality, culturally-relevant care. As the closest large primary care provider to the closed Carney campus, the Codman Square Health Center is heartened by the convening of this working group and the opportunity to reimagine the Carney site to deliver health services in innovative ways," said Dr. Guy Fish, CEO of Codman Square Health Center.

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"I would like to express my sincere thanks to Governor Healey and Mayor Wu for their leadership in forming this working group, and to co-chairs Dr. Bisola Ojikutu and Michael Curry for their dedication to expanding healthcare access throughout Boston. While the closure of Carney Hospital is a significant loss for our community, this moment presents a valuable opportunity to reimagine what's possible and explore innovative pathways to ensure equitable care for all our residents, particularly those most impacted in Dorchester and Mattapan. Many of our clients at VietAID need to find a new healthcare provider fast, and I'm concerned about the additional strain this will place on our already overburdened community health centers," said George Huynh, Executive Director of Vietnamese American Initiative for Development (VietAID), Inc.

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