Massachusetts Senate Opens New Path for Norwood Hospital
Senate Steps Up to Aid Residents Who Were Failed by Steward Health Care and Medical Properties Trust
(BOSTON—7/29/2026) The Massachusetts Senate took action today to protect the health and safety of Norfolk County and Greater Boston residents by clearing the way for a speedy revitalization of Norwood Hospital.
Six years since the old Norwood Hospital flooded and closed, and two years since its for-profit operator declared bankruptcy and halted progress toward rebuilding the facility, further delays have only harmed and endangered local residents.
The Senate voted today to authorize the state to acquire the Norwood Hospital site by eminent domain so that the property can be transferred to a new, nonprofit operator.
“Enough is enough. Our Norfolk County and Greater Boston neighbors
“Today, the Senate delivered a decisive win for Norwood and every surrounding community that has been forced to go without a hospital they can count on. For too long, our region has paid the price while Steward abandoned this hospital, drove the company into bankruptcy, and walked away, leaving a half-built shell and families with nowhere close to turn in an emergency,” said Senate Majority Whip Michael F. Rush (D-Boston), the lead Senate sponsor of the legislation. “After Steward’s private equity backers cashed out, Medical Properties Trust was left holding this site. Despite years of our best efforts, the owner has stonewalled the sale of the property to a competent provider and bargained with people’s lives. I’m grateful to my partner in Norwood, Representative John Rogers, Senate President Karen Spilka, and Senator Cindy Friedman for their leadership, and my many colleagues who have championed this legislation. With this bill, the Commonwealth is stepping up to finish the job, and I will not let up until a trustworthy nonprofit operator has this hospital open, staffed, and serving the families who have waited far too long.”
“Since Norwood Hospital first closed, I have heard the same message over and over again from municipal leaders, first responders, health care professionals, and patients: we need Norwood Hospital back now,” said Senator Paul R. Feeney (D-Foxborough). “Every day it remains closed, ambulances from communities across our region and throughout my district are forced to drive past an empty hospital that should be treating patients, only to transport them further away because of the health care void left by the corporate greed and mismanagement of Steward Health. Our residents deserve timely access to care close to home, pressure must be relieved at other hospitals, municipal EMS cannot afford to have limited resources tied up for hours, and they cannot afford to wait any longer. I am grateful to Senator Rush for his steadfast leadership in advancing this effort on behalf of his district and our regional delegation, to Senator Collins and Senate President Spilka for their unwavering commitment, and to the nurses, patients, municipal leaders, first responders, and community advocates whose tireless advocacy never let this issue fade. Today's action brings us one step closer to restoring this critical healthcare lifeline for the region.”
“Communities like Norwood depend on their local hospitals for emergency care, treatment, and the basic public health services families rely on every day,” said Senator Nick Collins (D-South Boston), Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight. “We have seen what happens when these institutions are allowed to falter and working families are left without a critical community resource. We owe it to the people of Norwood to get their hospital back online and pursue the path that best protects patients, workers, and the long-term health of the community. Restoring this capacity would also reduce pressure on Boston’s hospital systems by ensuring more patients can receive care closer to home. This legislation gives us an opportunity to establish a responsible precedent for keeping essential healthcare institutions operating when the public interest is at stake.”
Residents in the region that is supposed to be served by Norwood Hospital have faced serious public health risks since the facility’s closure by now-bankrupt Steward Health Care, a for-profit health care system.
The Boston Globe has reported cases of people suffering medical emergencies who had to be taken to hospitals farther away.
The legislation, S.3231, would initiate a public process for the state to responsibly follow through where Steward failed and ensure that Norwood Hospital returns to operation.
Under the bill, the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) would be authorized to take the property by eminent domain for the purpose of ensuring public access to health care.
The Commonwealth would then transfer or lease the site to a qualified, nonprofit hospital operator.
Legislative sponsors attached a provision marking the bill as an emergency law—‘necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health’—which means it would take effect immediately upon the Governor’s signature, rather than after a default waiting period of 90 days.
Filed earlier this year, the bill was reviewed by the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, which held a public hearing to hear from impacted residents. The joint committee advanced a new draft of the legislation, which was amended and passed by the House of Representatives this month.
The Senate passed the bill and sent it back to the House for further consideration.
