AYER – Dozens of nurses and staff walked out of Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer on Saturday morning for the last time after Steward Health Care could not find a buyer for the hospital.
“Very sad, it’s like the lynchpin of the community. I used the emergency department there a couple of times for a broken ankle and slice on my hand,” patient Helen Palmer said.
The same is true for Carney Hospital in Dorchester, which closed on Saturday. The now-bankrupt Steward Health Care said it did not find qualified bidders for the two facilities, forcing the hospitals to close at the end of August.
Employees without jobs after hospitals close
Helen Palmer has been coming to Nashoba for nearly a decade.
“And now the other emergency rooms are going to get backed up, and I am going to get stuck in traffic on the wrong side. I feel sorry for workers there and regular patients,” Palmer said.
Abby Baldwin came to show her support workers at the hospital. Abby’s mom, Laura Baldwin, worked at Nashoba as a registered nurse for seven years. Laura is currently battling cancer and found out about the closure during her treatment.
“She found out very suddenly, underwent 13-hour surgery, and while she was recovering, she learned the news they were closing in 30 days,” Abby said. “I think the biggest hurt for my mother is just how fast it all happened and it seemed like there really wasn’t much of a fight to keep it open.”
Now, the front entrance is loaded with farewell wishes, and the parking lot is empty.
The state says it’s now laying out plans to help support communities impacted by these closures. For the next week, two ambulances will be on standby 24/7 at both hospitals to help and transport patients to the Emergency Department.
“It’s very sad for the community. I wish someone came in and bought it. I think there’s going to be lives lost because of this,” Palmer said.
