Steward Health Care’s retreat from Massachusetts is continuing, with the bankrupt company officially moving in court Monday to abandon the under-construction Norwood Hospital property and close four affiliated outpatient clinics nearby no later than Nov. 5.
The hospital itself has not been open since a June 2020 flood caused catastrophic damage, but four satellite facilities (in Norwood and Foxborough) have continued to operate under the Norwood Hospital license, according to court documents. That state license expires Nov. 5 and Steward told the court it intends to walk away from what remains in Norwood and the satellite clinics by then.
“The majority of current outpatients will complete their treatment prior to the closure date and, if necessary, provided with information and assistance to make follow-up appointments with replacement providers,” Steward wrote in a U.S. Bankruptcy Court filing Monday. “Any patients who need longer treatment will be notified of the anticipated closure and will be transferred, along with their medical record information, to an outpatient clinic in the area or an outpatient clinic of their choice.”
The closing satellite facilities are Norwood Performance Therapy and Guild Imaging Center of Norwood Hospital, both in Norwood, and Norwood Hospital Cancer Care Center at Foxboro and “Foxboro,” both at the same Walnut Street address in Foxborough. Between the four facilities, patients access oncology care, radiology services and physical therapy.
Restoration work at Norwood Hospital has been idle for months after Steward stopped paying the contractor earlier this year, state officials said. Public officials have proposed ways to continue the Norwood site’s use as a medical center and the Healey administration reiterated Monday night that it would like to see a new operator step in to resume health care services there.
Norwood Hospital was not part of the bankruptcy sale that saw two Steward hospitals here…