Working Group Assembled to Address the Closure of Nashoba Valley Medical Center

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 25, 2024

Contact: Benjamin Reinwald, Legislative Aide                          

Benjamin.Reinwald@mahouse.gov

PEPPERELL, MA – State Representative Margaret Scarsdale is proud to announce that she has been named a member of Governor Healey’s newly formed Nashoba Valley Medical Center Working Group, whose mission is to address the ongoing challenges arising from the closure of the Nashoba Valley Medical Center in North Central Massachusetts. This Working Group is the product of the on-going collaboration between Representative Scarsdale and her legislative colleagues with Governor Healey and her teams at the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Public Health. Representative Scarsdale worked closely with the administration on the composition of the Working Group, which includes federal, state, and local partners, all committed to restoring essential medical services in this area.

"It is an honor to partner with Governor Healey, Secretary Walsh, and other critical stakeholders to determine the path forward to improve and protect critical access to emergency and acute care services in the Nashoba Valley,” said Representative Margaret Scarsdale (D-Pepperell). “This closure comes as a major blow to this rural region, which in the last year has lost both the Leominster birthing center and the hospice care branch of Nashoba Associated Boards of Health. I have heard loud and clear from our first responders and local residents: Our community hospital is vital to this region, and I am eager to continue this work – alongside my colleagues on the Task Force – to determine the path forward for restored and improved healthcare access in Nashoba Valley.”   

Caused by Steward Healthcare’s corruption and financial mismanagement, Nashoba Valley Medical Center closed its doors on August 31, 2024. Since that time, thousands of North-Central Massachusetts residents have faced worsened access to emergency and routine healthcare and local Fire/EMS have had their resources strained. The Nashoba Valley Working Group will take on these challenges directly, making recommendations on the path forward to restore and improve healthcare services in the region.

The Working Group includes representation from Health and Human Services, the Department of Public Health, State Representative Margaret Scarsdale, Town Managers, local fire chiefs,  representatives from the Massachusetts Nurses Association, and other elected officials and  groups.

Representative Scarsdale thanks the Governor and her team for their continued collaboration and commitment to addressing the healthcare needs of our community.