A bus of concerned citizens from Norwood and the surrounding community descended on Beacon Hill on Thursday, February 12th in support of House Bill 5047, the proposed “emergency” legislation introduced by State Representative John Rogers and State Senator Michael Rush and supported by legislators across the region, that would employ eminent domain for a state taking of the site of Norwood Hospital, which has been closed since the summer of 2020.
The bus riders joined first responders, elected officials, and others at the State House. The group included representatives from Norwood, Sharon, Wrentham, Walpole and other area towns.
Photo courtesy of Town of Norwood. Bank of Canton CEO Stephen Costello, a member of the task force, rode on a bus packed with residents from across the region once served by Norwood Hospital on February 12th to offer testimony and support for House Bill 5047.“This bill empowers the Commonwealth to take a proactive, strategic role in planning for regional health care infrastructure, rather than leaving these decisions solely to private market forces,” said Rep. Rogers at the hearing. He noted that the bill’s use of “emergency” in its preamble reflects an urgent public health need, and if approved, would allow the bill to take immediate effect.
U.S. Representative Stephen Lynch testified on behalf of his district of 18 towns, half of which he said were in the catchment area of Norwood Hospital. "We want to take the property away from Medical Properties Trust, that private equity hedge fund. We want to give it back to the people and we're in the process of attracting a not-for-profit hospital operator to come in and run that hospital like they did before, which will create about 400 beds," he said.
Rep. Lynch noted that doing so would relieve pressure from other overwhelmed hospitals which are serving patients who would otherwise be served by Norwood Hospital. "If you allow us to take this hospital through eminent domain, we will make sure that it is restored to a not-for-profit hospital providing excellent care to the people in this Commonwealth," he said.
Norwood General Manager Tony Mazzucco also testified. “You’ve heard about emergency departments being overloaded and ambulance times having doubled or tripled,” he said. Mr. Mazzucco noted that while Norwood is eight miles away from a world class medical center in Boston, many patients cannot reach those services.
“Particularly if you were to have a heart attack in Norwood – or Walpole, or Wrentham, or Sharon, or Canton, or Dedham, or Foxborough, or Mansfield – you are 40 minutes from getting the appropriate care,” he said.
Photo courtesy of Norwood Hospital. Pictured is the hearing room where testimony was heard for House Bill 5047.When its doors were open, Norwood Hospital operated as an acute care facility for the region and had over 130 hospital beds. Its emergency room was equipped with a cardiac catheterization lab.
According to Massachusetts Center for Health Information and Analysis, Norwood Hospital drew patients from the surrounding towns of Norwood, Westwood, Dedham, Walpole, Canton, Foxborough, Wrentham, Sharon, Mansfield, and Norfolk. In 2019 - Norwood Hospital’s last full year of operation - 22 percent of all Westwood discharges, 41 percent of all Walpole discharges, and 46 percent of all Norwood discharges were attributed to Norwood Hospital.
Photo courtesy of Town of Norwood. Norwood Hospital supporters held signs during the hearing.In June 2020, a catastrophic flooding event occurred when about 5.75 inches of rain fell in 90 minutes, causing damage and destruction to Norwood Hospital’s mechanical and electrical systems, medical equipment, and building facilities. Since then, the hospital has undergone partial reconstruction but has remained closed and has never reopened.
Steward Healthcare purchased Norwood Hospital in 2010, along with other facilities of the Caritas Christi Health Care system, turning it into a for-profit organization. The land under the hospital was sold to a private equity firm, Medical Properties Trust (MPT), and resulted in a business model that Rep. Rogers at the hearing called "an abysmal failure that led in no small part to the financial collapse of the Steward Healthcare system."
Rep. Rogers noted that the Commonwealth enacted Chapter 343 of the Acts of 2024, "banning" such trusts form being landlords of the state's hospitals. He stated, "There is no future for MPT in Massachusetts." Westwood Minute notes that the referenced act heightens oversight of private equity in health care in Massachusetts, requiring increased transparency and limiting certain transactions.
Rep. Rogers continued, "MPT can afford to play the waiting game, until it can find a suitable operator at the highest price it demands. And all behind closed doors. Our people cannot afford to play that game. Our people cannot afford to wait. They are suffering, and indeed, dying needlessly. Nine people, albeit good people, sitting in a boardroom in Birmingham, Alabama control the future of the Norwood Hospital and the fate of millions here in the Bay State," he said. He then urged the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight to exercise the Commonwealth's powers of eminent domain.
In 2025, the Town of Norwood launched the Finish Norwood Hospital campaign. The Finish Norwood Hospital Task Force has been lobbying for support to reopen Norwood Hospital and is chaired by Mr. Mazzucco. It includes regional health care providers, public health officials, labor leaders, emergency service providers, community leaders, business leaders, and elected and local government officials.
Moderate or heavy snow showers, with a high of 40 and low of 27 degrees. Sunny in the morning, overcast in the afternoon and evening, clear overnight.
Senator Rush is correct re: the ambulatory services. One only has to drive on RTE 109/Westwood to see the number of out of town ambulances going through town at all times of the day. Then they have to get to Boston or Needham.
This is progress and I am glad to see the Select Board moving in the right direction. However, a majority of voters at last Monday's Special Town Meeting voted to recommend that the Select Board immediately cease its lawsuit against the Westwood Land Trust.
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