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Save Waltham Hospital
A campaign has been launched to Save Waltham Hospital,
Rally Scheduled
Attention Health Care Activists and Advocates and Concerned Citizens:
A Campaign Has Been Launched to Save Waltham Hospital!
The MNA has joined hundreds of employees, physicians, citizens, local
and state political leaders and citizens to form a coaltion to SAVE
WALTHAM HOSPITAL, which has been slated for closure by CareGroup within
the next 90 days. A press conference by the coaltion held on Thursday
has drawn attention to the cause of this crisis for the Waltham community,
as well as surrounding communities as this 115 year-old health care
safety net faces extinction, raising the spector of thousands of citizens
being denied access to care in their own community, dramatically increasing
ER diversions throughout the region, and eliminated 48 desperately
needed psychiatric beds, and a state-of-the art cancer center.
Help us demonstrate the mismanagement of failing health care networks
should not result in the destruction of vital, community-based health
care services. Below is additional information for those who want
to learn more about this issue and what you can do to help. A series
of events and activities are being planned in the coming days and
weeks. Please help where you can.
Here's some general information and some numbers to call:
For over 115 years, Waltham Hospital has provided a health care safety
net to our community, providing life-saving emergency services, first
rate medical and surgical care, state-of-the art oncology services,
and desperately needed psychiatric care. The hospital serves a significant
senior population and a diverse ethnic community that demands the
services Waltham Hospital provides.
Resulting emergency room diversions will endanger lives Waltham Hospital
has 20,000 emergency room visits per year. Other hospitals in the
region are often subject to emergency room diversions now. With its
closure, surrounding communities will be negatively impacted and patients
will be harmed. ER Diversions is one of the most serious health care
problems in the state now and this will make it worst.
Mental health/psychiatric patients will be abandoned Waltham Hospital
offers a complete continuum of mental health and addictions services.
They maintain a strong patient volume in their 48-bed unit. With a
severe shortage of mental health, psychiatric and substance abuse
beds and services in the region now, this population will be devastated
with a closure.
The Hospital can run efficiently and effectively Given the opportunity
to implement proper reforms, Waltham Hospital has the capacity to
run efficiently and effectively. Waltham Hospital is a leading health
care service provider in their region, leading in many service markets.
Locally, the community has raised $1.3 million privately for its new
cancer center. Questionable decisions and practices by its parent
network have forced Waltham Hospital into their current position.
The community's need will be left unmet The loss of this hospital
will cause great hardship to thousands of citizens and disrupt care
provided in a number of surrounding communities served by hospitals
forced to absorb patients displaced by this closure. Citizens, patients,
local leaders, physicians, nurses and dedicated employees of Waltham
Hospital are committed to reviving this vital community asset so that
the health care needs of our citizens continue to be met.
Call your elected officials and ask them to SAVE WALTHAM HOSPITAL!
United States Senator Edward Kennedy 617.565.3170
United States Senator John Kerry 617.565.8519
Congressman Edward Markey 781.396.2900
Governor Jane Swift 617.727.3600
Senate President Thomas Birmingham 617.722.1500
Speaker of the House Thomas Finneran 617.722.2500
Waltham Mayor David Gately 781.314.3100
Your State Senator - The number of the State Senate lobby is 617.722.1455,
from there you can be connected to your State Senator
Your State Representative - The number of the House of Representatives
lobby is 617.722.2000, from there you can be connected to your State
Senator
Join Petition Drive to Save Waltham Hospital
The Coaltion to Save Waltham Hospital is engaged in a petition drive
to gather signatures of community supporters for keeping this vital
community hospital open. Please download and print out a copy of this
petition (it is available in both MS Word and Adobe Acrobat formats)
and circulate it in your neighborhood, at community events, wherever
you meet and greet fellow citizens with a concern for preserving a
sound health care system. Once you fill your petition, fax it to the
MNA, attention David Schildmeier at 781.821.4445.
We will be gathering these petitions and sharing them with appropriate
policy makers to demonstrate the support for governmental action to
save this hospital for the residents of Waltham and surrounding communities.
Download Petition:
PDF Format
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