'We need a hospital': Rally to save Morton is Tuesday in Taunton. What to know

Daniel Schemer, The Taunton Daily Gazette
·3 min read

TAUNTON — Groups and activists are taking to the streets to rally in support of saving Steward Health Care hospitals in Taunton, Brockton, Fall River and elsewhere amid the embattled company's ongoing financial crisis.

Multiple community rallies will be taking place over the next couple of weeks across the region in support of keeping these hospitals open, starting with Taunton’s Morton Hospital.

“We need a hospital in our city. We’ve already closed facilities elsewhere, and the overflow can’t be absorbed by others,” said Jamie Kelley, lead organizer for the Morton Hospital Community Rally.

When and where is the rally?

The rally, which will take place on Tuesday, April 23 from 3:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on the Taunton Green, is one of seven being organized by the “Our Community Our Hospital” campaign — a coalition of residents, healthcare workers and community, labor and faith-based organizations served by hospitals currently owned by Steward Health Care.

The Massachusetts Nursing Association (MNA) is one of the numerous organizations part of this coalition, currently handling outreach.

“The loss of any of these facilities will deliver a devastating blow to the entire health care infrastructure in the Commonwealth, particularly to some of the most vulnerable and marginalized patients and families. Patients will be subjected to dangerous delays in care, be forced to travel longer distances for care, and for many, to go without care altogether,” said a written statement from the MNA about the “Our Community, Our Hospital” campaign.

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According to the MNA the hospitals in the region owned by Steward Health Care are “among the largest employers in their communities,” employing more than 16,000 workers and caregivers.

“This is a city of over 60,000 people. There’s no reason not to have a community hospital,” said Kelley, adding closing Morton Hospital is especially not fair for the many residents who “can’t just get in a car and go to Boston,” with many of those hospitals “already saying we can’t handle the capacity.”

Kelley added at the Morton Hospital rally on the Taunton Green there will be constituents from multiple local and regional organizations, including The Taunton Diversity Network, South Coast LGBTQ+ Network and T.R.U.E. Diversity, as well as medical worker unions and faith-based groups.

Morton Hospital in Taunton
Morton Hospital in Taunton

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When are rallies in other communities?

In addition to the Taunton rally on April 23, rallies will also be taking place across the region on the following dates:

  • Brockton: Wednesday, April 24, Good Samaritan Hospital Community Forum, Keating Hall, 80 Perkins Ave., Brockton, 6:30 p.m.

  • Methuen: Wednesday, April 24, Holy Family Hospitals Community Rally, 194-274 Berkeley St., Methuen, 3 p.m.

  • Haverhill: Wednesday, April 24, Holy Family Hospitals Community Rally, Lincoln Avenue and Brown Street, Haverhill, 4:30 p.m.

  • Fall River: Thursday, April 25, Saint Anne’s Hospital Community Rally, Kennedy Park, 132 Bradford Ave., Fall River, 3:30 p.m.

  • Boston: Thursday, April 25, Carney Hospital Community Forum, St. Gregory’s Auditorium, 2214 Dorchester Ave., Boston, 6:30 p.m.

  • Brighton: Monday, April 29, St. Elizabeth’s Community Forum, in front of the hospital, 736 Cambridge St., Brighton, 3 p.m.

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Rallies to save Steward Health Care hospitals kicks off in Taunton