Haverhill leaders Tuesday night thanked Lawrence General Hospital for moving to save Holy Family Hospital’s Haverhill campus while also learning of the deteriorated conditions there that almost derailed the deal.
Haverhill Mayor Melinda E. Barrett said she talked with Lawrence General Hospital President and CEO Abha Agrawal several times over the last seven months about the hospital’s vision and proposal.
“Things got a little dicey when they went into the hospital to put eyes on what was there and, I think, their hesitation stems from what I gather the infrastructure had been so neglected, stripped and run down that what they thought they could do they had doubts about whether they could pull it off,” she said.
Council President Thomas J. Sullivan placed the matter on the agenda, saying some reorganization may be required to keep the Haverhill hospital viable.
“We’re hopeful that they will obviously keep an emergency room, that they may get creative with the other uses of the building—whether it’s going to be traditional medical departments or whether it’s going to be some new, creative innovative medical facility. We don’t know yet,” he said, launching the discussion.
Sullivan and Council Vice President Timothy Jordan thanked members of the Massachusetts Nurses Association for their early warning last spring about the possible fate of the Haverhill campus. Barrett and others also noted the powerful roles of state and federal legislators as well as Northern Essex Community College President Lane A. Glenn, who also serves on Lawrence General’s board of trustees.
Councilor John A. Michitson said the city’s legislative delegation may have more work to do as Lawrence General Hospital works to keep three campuses open while providing acute care in Haverhill. Councilor Melissa J. Lewandowski said the emerging health care network could prove beneficial.
“Hopefully, this will allow for some regionalization and more of a community-based physician network because they’re going to be here as well as Lawrence and so forth. I’m looking forward to it,” she said.
Michitson also noted community hospitals tend to be starved of revenue because they serve more poor patients. He and Barrett called for increases in state reimbursements with the mayor pointing out even more is needed now because Holy Family has been stripped to “bare bones.”