Amendment #529 to H4400

Community Hospital Closure Report

Representatives Jones of North Reading, Hill of Ipswich, Poirier of North Attleborough, Gifford of Wareham, Frost of Auburn and Smola of Warren move to amend the bill by adding the following section:-

“SECTION XX. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there shall be a taskforce to study and produce a report following the report by the Health Policy Commission, Community Hospitals at a Crossroads, examining the residual economic and socio-economic effects which occurred as a result of the closings of North Adams Regional Hospital (NARH) and Quincy Medical Center (QMC). The taskforce shall examine the time of unemployment for workers at NARH and QMC, confirm staffing levels of nearby hospitals, identify local businesses affected by the hospital closures, and provide statistics on the increased admissions for nearby hospitals. The report shall include the length of time workers from QMC and NARH took to secure new employment, determine whether the new positions are of equal stature, and identify average new commute times for such employees.

The taskforce shall consist of the house and senate chairs on the joint committee of public health, who shall be the co-chairs; the speaker of the house of representatives or a designee; the president of the senate or a designee; the house minority leader or a designee; the senate minority leader or a designee; the director of the health policy commission or a designee; 2 representatives of the Massachusetts Hospital Association; 1 representative of the Massachusetts Council of Community Hospitals; 2 former employees of Quincy Medical Center; and 2 former employees of North Adams Regional Hospital.

The taskforce shall submit its report and findings, along with any recommendations, to the house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee on public health, and the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate by February 1, 2019.”