City of Pawtucket???s Update on Memorial Hospital
MAYOR DONALD J. GREBIEN
PAWTUCKET ??? Mayor Donald R. Grebien continues to work with Governor Raimondo, Central Falls Mayor Diossa and Care New England to ensure the City and its residents are protected and have access to quality health care services.
The Mayor requested that the Department of Health place conditions on Care New England-Memorial
Hospital, including:
Primary care practice in internal medicine and family medicine be preserved at its present level or increased in size at the current campus
That the medical residency program should be maintained at Pawtucket Memorial.
That the acute rehabilitation unit be maintained.
That an urgent care center and a radiologic imaging service be located in the existing emergency room which has been recently upgraded at the cost of millions of dollars
That the Cancer Center of Memorial Hospital should be maintained on campus.
That a consultant advise the Department of Health which other health services are necessary to protect the health and wellbeing of Pawtucket???s and Central Falls??? most vulnerable populations.
The Department of Health conduct an independent examination regarding whether the surrounding hospitals have the ability to absorb the patients that have historically utilized Pawtucket Memorial.
That Care New England immediately issue an RFP for the re-purposing of the hospital campus, with the City having veto power, so that the campus is not left empty, and this critically important economic driver of business to this financially distressed city left abandoned and useless.
That Care New England account for its use of the endowment and to reimburse the endowment to the level that it was at when they acquired the hospital in 2013.
That any acquirer of Care New England commit to restoring a full service acute care community hospital to Pawtucket.
That the Department of Health and the City of Pawtucket shall have standing and authority to seek injunctive relief in court in order to specifically enforce any of the conditions imposed.
This week, Care New England made commitments to comprehensive health care services in the outpatient clinical setting, walk-in clinic services, and x-rays, mammograms and phlebotomy services. They are also in the process of retaining the license for residency services with the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
However, time commitments and the length of services needs to be addressed.
???I am pleased to see an outline of Care New England???s commitments to keep services in Pawtucket for our residents??? said Mayor Grebien. ???I am also glad to see them working with the nurses and health professionals to retain their jobs. However, we still have work to do to ensure that these commitments become reality and the quality care remains here.???
As the regulatory agency, the Department of Health is reviewing Care New England???s application for a reverse certificate of need for hospital closure at Memorial Hospital, as well as the transfer of their primary care services currently provided under Memorial Hospital’s license to Kent Hospital’s license
The Department also has the authority to impose the final conditions.