Massachusetts Dedicates Former Hospital
for Shelter, Treatment of Homeless Individuals
Newton Pavilion building to be used for
care of homeless residents
BOSTON – To ensure the care and safety of the
Boston area’s homeless population during the COVID-19 epidemic, the
Baker-Polito Administration today announced that a former Boston Medical Center
hospital building will be temporarily reopened and used to meet COVID-19 related
medical needs of area homeless residents.
The building, known
as Newton Pavilion, is currently owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The new facility will be operated by a consortium of providers, including
Boston Medical Center, Boston Healthcare for the Homeless, shelters including
the Pine Street Inn, and the City of Boston’s COVID-19 response team.
“As we continue to
urge residents to stay at home, it’s vitally important to provide for the
safety of individuals who don’t have a place to call home,” said Governor
Charlie Baker. “We continue to take steps to protect the health and safety
of all residents, particularly our more vulnerable residents including older
adults, individuals with underlying health conditions, and individuals
experiencing homelessness.”
“This action is a
critical protection for the health care needs of individuals experiencing
homelessness, a population at high risk for the virus that needs a place
to recover safely in cases of mild illness,” said Secretary of Health and
Human Services Marylou Sudders.
The facility will
be able to be used as needed for a range of care needs, potentially including
treatment of homeless patients who:
- Are
confirmed COVID-19 positive with mild symptoms who do not require
hospitalization but do require isolation from the general population
- Are
symptomatic and awaiting test results who require isolation to avoid
spreading infection to the general population
- Post-discharge
facility for COVID-19 patients who have been hospitalized but who don’t
have a home to return to
- Acute
care for sicker patients, up to and including ICU care
Capacity of the
facility can grow with demand to 250 beds, marking a significant increase in
clinical capacity to treat homeless individuals who contract COVID-19.
"It's critical
that we continue to support our most vulnerable residents, especially our
homeless population," said Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh. "In
Boston, we are putting in place measures to protect shelter guests and prevent
the virus from spreading, including new facilities for screening, testing and
isolating patients, and identifying additional overnight beds in the city. The
reopening of the Newton Pavilion at Boston Medical Center will be essential to
relieving stress on our health care system and increasing medical care for our
homeless population as we continue to respond to this public health
crisis."
“This new facility
will be a critical asset in our hospital’s and our community’s ability to care
for Boston’s homeless patients affected by COVID-19 and in turn will help us
prevent further spread of the virus,” said Kate Walsh, President and CEO of
Boston Medical Center Health System. “We applaud and thank Governor Baker
and his Administration for taking this crucial step and are grateful for the
partnership of our fellow providers in this effort.”
“This is a huge
step forward in ensuring that our patients and the City’s homeless community
are able to get the care they will need and deserve in the weeks and months
ahead,” said Barry Bock, CEO of Boston Health Care for the Homeless.
“We’re ready and eager to work closely in partnership with our fellow providers
to make this new facility a reality, and we’re so grateful to Governor Baker
for his leadership in making this possible,”
“We are very
grateful to the Governor and Secretary Sudders for designating this building as
a site for homeless individuals during this crisis. This site will be crucial
in helping contain the spread of this virus in our community,” said Lyndia
Downie, President of Pine Street Inn. “I want to thank our partners in the
fight, Boston Medical Center and Boston Health Care for the Homeless, for the
work they are doing to get this building operational.”
