CANTON, MA — The Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) and our members are very pleased to learn about the announcement of the finalization of asset purchase agreements for Lifespan to buy Morton Hospital in Taunton and Saint Anne’s Hospital in Fall River, and for Lawrence General Hospital to buy the Holy Family Hospital facilities in Methuen and Haverhill. While obviously hopeful and welcome news for the RNs and health professionals who have held the line throughout this process, it is even more important for the hundreds of thousands of residents who are served by these facilities, residents whose health and safety depend on the success of these transactions and the transition of the facilities to the new owners.
As the process moves forward, we will need to review the full details of the agreement before issuing our final judgement on these transactions and as such, we look forward to learning more about these agreements and how the transitions will take place. Throughout this process, our main concern is that our members, who have held the line throughout this grueling ordeal, must be assured that any final agreement stipulates that our members’ union contracts, with all existing rights and benefits, including their pension benefits, will be maintained by the new owners.
While we celebrate the survival of these facilities, including pending agreements for the purchase of Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton and St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton by Boston Medical Center, the MNA along with all nurses who have worked under Steward continue to voice our support and stand with our colleagues at Carney Hospital and Nashoba Valley Medical Center, and especially those communities they serve, and we continue to call on the Governor and the state to take action to save those hospitals.
The MNA represents more than 2,800 RNs and health professionals working at six of the Steward facilities, including Carney Hospital (233 RNs), Good Samaritan Medical Center (451 RNs and health professionals), Holy family Hospitals in Haverhill and Methuen (472 RNs), Morton Hospital (421 RNs and health professionals), Nashoba Valley Medical Center (150 RNs) and St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton (810 RNs). The MNA also represents 271 RNs at Norwood Hospital, which was previously closed due to a flood in 2020.
