Lawrence General Hospital Takes Over Holy Family ‘With No Glitches;’ Celebrates in Two Cities (Photos)

(Additional photographs below.)

Lawrence General Hospital said its takeover Tuesday of Holy Family Hospital in Haverhill and Methuen went “absolutely with no glitches,” and hospital staff and elected officials celebrated the return of nonprofit ownership in ceremonies in both cities.

Lawrence General Hospital President and CEO Abha Agrawal called the near closings of Holy Family Hospital by Steward Health Care a “breach of trust,” but promised to “rebuild.”

“Today is the day when we step out of the fog of uncertainty onto a path of progress forward, creating a healing system of care for our patients and our team. Just a few months ago, we were on the brink of losing Holy Family Hospital, its facilities—beautiful, the care it provides, the jobs it sustains and the economic benefit it creates,” she told a crowd gathered Tuesday morning outside Holy Family Hospital in Methuen.

Agrawal tanked Gov. Maura T. Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, state Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh and other local and state leaders for their efforts in saving the hospitals in Methuen and Haverhill. She said the priorities are now to protect patients and the care team; expand mission of health equity, diversity and inclusivity; fostering partnership and collaboration with area institutions such as Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, rehabilitation centers, community services and AgeSpan; “integration and efficient organization” of clinical services and operations; and “laying the foundations of innovations in care.

Sen. Pavel M. Payano credited Agrawal with creating the vision that ultimately worked. He explained he was merely making an introduction to the then-new hospital leader last January when she advanced her idea.

“She brought up this plan of ‘Hey, what about if we have a regional approach and Lawrence General is managing these other two hospitals.’ I’m like, ‘Woah, that sounds like a lot. You’re laying it on hard.’ She says ‘We’re going to do the research,’ and I’m like that sounds like an incredible idea. How am I going to pitch that to other people?”

In introducing Walsh, Agrawal noted she met with the secretary less than a month into the hospital CEO taking over at Lawrence General as the Steward Heath Care crisis unfolded. Walsh half joked that the Merrimack Valley’s legislative delegation “tortured” her to save the hospitals, but she thanked them for doing so and also recognized the early resolve of Lawrence General Hospital.

“What I was so impressed by was the commitment and leadership of Lawrence General who, once they started to envision taking responsibility for this community, would not rest until we provided the services and support that would make this transition possible,” she said.

Rosemarie Day, chair of Lawrence General’s board of trustees, noted today’s rededication could well have ended in a different situation. Instead, as Lawrence General prepares for its 150th anniversary, it is now the “anchor” of a regional health care system. She thanked Holy Family staff that “hung in there.”

In Haverhill, Rep. Andy X. Vargas pointed out Haverhill’s campus was always on shaky ground. “When we were dealing with Steward over the past couple of years, this campus was always treated like a ‘nice to have’ situation, but LGH on this day has prioritized both campuses—having a ribbon-cutting on both campuses, having an amazing turnout on both campuses and saying that both communities are their communities. So, I just want to thank LGH for putting the family back in Holy Family,” he said.

During the Haverhill ceremony, a Boston MedFlight helicopter arrived and took off again, reminding Haverhill Mayor Melinda E. Barrett how the Haverhill campus saves lives in its own right. She cited an example from last January.

“We also had a young boy getting off a school bus that was hit by a drunk driver as he crossed with the bus light flashing and the stop sign out. He survived, and he survived because they were able to get him from Main Street to this facility to Boston in a very short time that save his life, that changed the course of that family’s life,” she explained.

A number of speakers recognized late Methuen Mayor Neil Perry. Walsh said Perry had the lieutenant governor on speed dial and was not afraid to use it.” She added the successful transition would not have happened without him. Payano said Perry was devoted enough to consider Methuen taking over Holy Family Hospital itself, while Methuen’s Acting Mayor David P. “D.J.” Beauregard said Perry “jumpstarted” the process by threatening to take Holy Family Hospital in Methuen by eminent domain.

Beauregard also had words for the former, for-profit owner. “I love this hospital. So, to Steward I say, good riddance and don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”

Rep. Ryan M. Hamilton said there would have been a “health care desert” with not enough beds in the Merrimack Valley to care for residents if Holy Family closed.

Sen. Barry R. Finegold said he was “skeptical” at first that Lawrence General Hospital could take over Holy Family, noting he wasn’t sure the Lawrence hospital would survive the COVID-19 crisis. “To their credit, they pulled it off,” he said, “but the hard part is still in front of us.”