Photo: WBZ NewsRadio
NORWOOD, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Norwood town officials have launched a campaign with support from state and federal leaders to get Norwood Hospital up and running.
The original hospital was ruined by flooding in 2020, and construction to rebuild the facility began in 2021. Steward Healthcare owned the hospital, but had to shut down its operations there after filing for bankruptcy last October.
“It’s very sad to drive by,” said a local resident. “They were coming along so well at first and people were getting excited and then boom.”
The Finish Norwood Hospital campaign is aimed at finding an operator to wrap up the nearly-completed construction on the new facility and finally open its doors.
The town said the original hospital served more than 125,000 patients in its last year of operation.
“If something was to happen, we have to go all this distance just to get to an emergency room. That could be taking away minutes from your life,” said another local resident.
The new hospital could also add jobs to the region and provide a boost to the economy.
“We are not asking for money or resources,” said Norwood General Manager Tony Mazzucco, who’s leading the campaign. “We need support from the entire region — residents, businesses, labor, first responders — to ensure potential operators know the opportunities in this region and the state understands the urgent nature of a hospital reopening.”
WBZ’s Chris Fama (@CFamaWBZ) reports.