ITEM PHOTO BY OWEN O’ROURKE
A Union Hospital sign located at the corner of Federal Street and Western Avenue in Lynn.
BY BRIDGET TURCOTTE
LYNN — North Shore Medical Center (NSMC) has submitted a response to the Department of Public Health’s Jan. 22 letter, which stated that Union Hospital’s services are necessary for “preserving access and health status” within its service area.
In the letter, State Public Health Department officials required NSMC to prepare a plan that detailed how access to the services provided at the hospital will be maintained for residents within the service area and submit the plan within 15 calendar days.
The letter references a Jan. 7 public hearing at Lynn City Hall, which was attended by residents and elected officials who urged the department to reject the proposal to close NSMC’s Union Hospital campus as part of a plan to consolidate medical services to Salem Hospital.
In a letter of response dated Feb. 5, NSMC states “a full service Emergency Department will remain on the Union campus during the three-year construction/transition period and during this time, NSMC will study new models for the delivery of urgent and emergency care in the future and work with community leaders to determine the best array of these services to meet the ongoing needs of all patients and communities.
The hospital truly believes that the proposed plan, when fully implemented, will result in a regional system of exceptional care for the North Shore communities served by the hospital for years to come.”
As mandated, the 13-page letter responds to concerns raised at the hearing, including the availability of emergency services in Lynn and surrounding municipalities; methods under consideration to address transport times to remaining emergency departments in the area; the increased time out of services for ambulances during return trips; NSMC’s plan, if any, to provide emergency services in Lynn.
“During the three-year construction/transition period, Partners HealthCare and NSMC are committed to continuing to provide a full service Emergency Department on the Union campus and to working with community leaders and clinicians to gain a better understanding of how to most appropriately serve the longer term emergent/urgent needs of all the patients and communities that NSMC serves,” the letter states.
“Until the planning process for emergent/urgent services is completed, it is difficult to assess potential impact on other emergency departments or first responders as the ultimate array of services remaining in the community will be of significant influence.”
The response includes a chart, which states Salem Hospital is 4.56 miles (or 12 minutes) from Lynn. The chart also includes the distance from Lahey Peabody, Lahey Burlington, Melrose-Wakefield, Lawrence Memorial, Winchester Hospital, Beverly Hospital, and Mass General Hospital. It lists similar information for surrounding communities.
“With respect to transport times to other area EDs, many communities in the NSMC service area are closer to Salem or other hospitals,” it says.
The DPH also asked for NSMC’s plans to meet the cultural and linguistic needs of the Lynn community at the Salem campus.
“As the hospital campuses are consolidated, NSMC will move the interpreter staff and other interpreter resources currently stationed on the Union campus to the Salem campus,” the letter says. “If adjustments in staffing are required to ensure that the ever-changing language needs of the community are reflected in the language capacity of interpreter staff, NSMC commits to making such adjustments.”
NSMC gave written assurance, as requested by DPH officials, to provide additional written notification, at least 90 days prior to the proposed closure of services, “in whole or substantial part,” at the Union Hospital campus. NSMC also agreed to provide a quarterly update to both the department and the greater Lynn community throughout the closure period.
“The delegation, Senator McGee, myself and city officials have all been reviewing their response,” said State Rep. Brendan Crighton. “We’ve connected and had conversations with the Department of Public Health.
“A number of concerns pop up for me,” Crighton said. “Individually, in terms of the emergency services, the transportation issues, the time it takes for folks in Lynn and surrounding communities to get to the hospital. (Also a concern is) access for seniors and other residents.
“I’d like to see some more details in terms of what their plans are,” Crighton said. “I don’t think their response satisfied some of the concerns raised by the people of Lynn.”
The DPH will respond to NSMC/Partners by Feb. 16 by either deciding that the submitted plan is acceptable or asking for further information or changes, said Communications Manager for the DPH Scott Zoback.
“Next week the DPH will have their response,” Crighton said. “We should have more information next week. We’ll take this step by step.”
Bridget Turcotte can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @BridgetTurcotte.