Massachusetts State Seal An official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Here's how you know

Official websites use .mass.gov

A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts.

Secure websites use HTTPS

A lock icon or https:// means you've safely connected to the official website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Skip to main content

Hospital essential service closures

Find information about pending and completed essential service closures at Massachusetts hospitals and learn more about the essential service closure process.
Skip table of contents
You skipped the table of contents section.

Disclaimer: The Department of Public Health (DPH) is committed to achieving meaningful accessibility to this online environment for all users, including users with disabilities. We recognize that this version the Essential Service Closure Documentation may not work for all users. If you are a user with visual impairments who needs alternative access to the documents, please contact the Bureau of Health Care Safety and Quality at (617) 624-0508 or by email at DPH.BHCSQ@state.ma.us.

Essential service closure process overview

An “essential service” is a service defined in the Hospital Licensure regulation at 105 CMR 130.020 that a Massachusetts hospital is licensed to provide. When a hospital decides to discontinue services within their facility or satellite campuses, there are several requirements that it must fulfill before it can complete the closure. This process is outlined in the Hospital Licensure regulations at 105 CMR 130.122.

The essential service closure process provides a mechanism for DPH to review a proposed closure or reduction in services and to ensure that measures have been put in place to minimize the impact on the community and address concerns that have been brought to DPH’s attention. However, DPH cannot legally require a hospital to keep a service open.​

  1. First, at least 120 days before the proposed closure date, the hospital must notify DPH of its intent to submit formal notification about the intended discontinuation of services.  The hospital must also notify those impacted by the service closure, including the hospital’s patient and family council, hospital staff, labor organizations representing the hospital’s workforce, and local and state elected officials.
  2. The hospital must then submit a formal 90-day notice of the closure to DPH, which must be provided at least 90 calendar days before the proposed closure date.
  3. DPH is required to hold a public hearing on the proposed closure of an essential service at least 60 days prior to the proposed closure date and publish a notice of a public hearing in the legal notice section of local newspaper(s) at least 21 calendar days prior to the date of the hearing. The public hearing provides interested parties the opportunity to share comments and concerns with DPH about the proposed closure.
  4. Following the hearing, DPH will provide the hospital with a determination within 15 days as to whether the service provided by the hospital is necessary for preserving access and health status within the hospital’s service area.
  5. If DPH finds the service to be necessary, the hospital is required to submit a plan for assuring access to DPH within 15 days of the finding.
  6. DPH will review this plan and if more information is needed, send the hospital written comments within 10 day of receiving the plan. The hospital must then submit a response to any comments by DPH within 10 days. This concludes the essential service closure process, and the hospital may continue with the proposed closure at this time.

Pending and recent hospital essential service closures

2026

Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Braintree - Adult Outpatient therapy program

Beverly Hospital - Addison Gilbert Hospital Campus

MelroseWakefield Healthcare

Merrimack Health Methuen Hospital and Merrimack Health Haverhill Hospital – Maternity Services and Out-of-Operation Pediatric Beds

Virtual Hearing: Tuesday, May 26th at 6pm.
Dial-In: 800-593-9977
Participant: 6316697

Closure Hearing: August 5th at 6pm 
Dial-In: 888-946-7206 
Participant: 8452900

2025

Brigham and Women’s Hospital – Inpatient Burn Beds

Closure Hearing: 10-bed Burn Unit Service on Tuesday, January 20, 2026 at 6PM EST 
Dial-In: 888-324-8016 
Participant Code: 9435793

Holy Family Hospital – Haverhill Campus

An in-person hearing will take place July 23, 2025, on the discontinuation of medical/surgical services, intensive care unit service, and emergency service at Holy Family Hospital’s Haverhill Campus.

Date: Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025
Time: 6pm EST
Location: Northern Essex Community College, Haverhill Campus – Room TC103AB, David Hartle Tech Center

MelroseWakefield Healthcare, Inc - Inpatient Psychiatric Beds

MetroWest Medical Center – Framingham Union Hospital Inpatient Pediatric Service

PAM Health Specialty Hospital of Stoughton – Neuro Behavioral Unit

2024

On July 26, 2024, Steward Health Care announced plans to close Carney Hospital in Dorchester and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer. These two facilities are winding down operations, and both are scheduled to close August 31, 2024. Visit Steward Health Care transitions for more information.

Norwood Hospital

In-Person Hearing: Monday, October 21, 2024, 6pm EST at Four Points by Sheraton Norwood (1125 Boston Providence Turnpike, Norwood, MA 02062)

Virtual Public Hearing: Tuesday, October 22nd, 2024, at 6pm EST

Norwood closure plan and DPH response to the closure plan
Arabic
Haitian Creole
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish
Vietnamese
Norwood Public Hearing Information

Carney Hospital

In Person Public Hearing: Tuesday, August 13, 2024, 6:00PM at Florian Hall, 55 Hallet Street, Boston, MA 02122

Virtual Public Hearing: Wednesday, August 14, 2024, 6:00PM

Carney closure plan and DPH response to the closure plan

Nashoba Valley Medical Center

In Person Public Hearing: Thursday, August 15th, 2024, 6:00 PM, at the Devens Common Center, 31 Andrews Parkway, Devens, MA 01434.

Virtual Public Hearing: Monday, August 19th, 2024, 6:00 PM

Nashoba closure plan and DPH response to the closure plan

New England Sinai Hospital

Public Hearing: January 31, 2024

Saint Anne’s Hospital – Geriatric Psychiatric Unit at New England Sinai Hospital

Public Hearing: February 01, 2024

Previous years

2020–2023 

Contact

Phone

Call Division of Health Care Facility Licensure and Certification at (617) 753-8000

Help Us Improve Mass.gov  with your feedback

Please do not include personal or contact information.
Feedback