The proposed acquisition of the Neponset Valley Health System—which includes both Norwood Hospital and Southwood Community Hospital—by the Nashville-based Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp. has drawn the intense scrutiny of the Commonwealth. On July 09, 1997, Attorney General Scott Harshbarger announced that a public hearing will be held on July 31, 1997, at the Norwood Junior High School to address the sale. The hearing is slated for two sessions—from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and from 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.—to allow for information sharing, witness testimony, and public comment regarding the deal.
The review, conducted by the Attorney General’s Division of Public Charities, is mandatory given that the transaction involves the purchase of nonprofit institutions by a for-profit entity. Attorney General Harshbarger has expressed significant reservations about the acquisition, noting in a public statement, “I have directed my staff to scrutinize this proposal very carefully, given Columbia/HCA’s track record in Massachusetts.” The state’s investigation into the $58 million deal is focused on three critical pillars: ensuring the fairness of the sale price, guaranteeing that local residents retain access to affordable healthcare, and investigating whether Neponset Valley trustees and executives avoided any conflicts of interest during the sale process.
The scrutiny comes amidst internal turmoil at the health system. The previous week saw the resignations of CEO Lawrence Kaplan and board member Lauren Stiller Rikleen. While Kaplan declined to comment on his departure, Rikleen publicly alleged that Columbia/HCA had withheld essential investments from the hospitals, conditioning them on the achievement of “unrealistic” profitability targets. These concerns regarding the corporation’s aggressive financial goals have heightened public apprehension throughout the community. To ensure transparency, a summary of the sale agreement will be made available to the public beginning July 16, and the Attorney General’s office will continue to accept written comments on the proposal through August 15, 1997.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
More Norwood Hospital Stories
-
Norwood Hospital Demolition-July 8, 2022
The demolition of the rear side of Norwood Hospital’s Lorusso building continued today. Do you have photos or videos of the demolition work at Norwood Hospital you would like to share? Please send them to us! Include your name and the date they were taken and you will receive credit in the captions. Thank you!…
-
Norwood Hospital Demolition-July 5, 2022
The demolition of Norwood Hospital continues. More walls were removed in the rear and side of the Lorusso building today, exposing many former patient rooms on the second and third floors and a few operating rooms on the first floor. The ground floor ambulance entrance to the Emergency Room is blocked by a rubble pile…
-
Wonderful Women of Norwood: Dr. Harriet Emeline Rogers
Dr. Harriet E. Rogers arrived in Norwood in 1923 to practice medicine. In 1922 the number of practicing female doctors in the greater Boston area were merely 10% of all practicing doctors; this statistic alone would make Dr. Rogers a trailblazer. As a doctor, she most definitely made a difference in her patient’s lives, but as resident…
-
A Drive Through Norwood Center on Easter Morning, April 17, 2022
We hope you enjoy this video of a short drive in and around Norwood Center on Easter morning, April 17, 2022. Happy Easter! Discover more from Norwood Historical Society Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe
-
Wonderful Women of Norwood: Anna Groote 
Anna Groote was active in Norwood’s Germantown community and helped many recent immigrants into the neighborhood. The Norwood Historical Society would like to present Anna Groote as an important woman in Norwood’s history. Anna was born in Germany and married Franz “Frank” Groote in Germany in 1864. Anna and Frank came to the United States from Wehringhausen Germany in May of 1887 through…
-
This Week In Norwood History- May 6
Morrill Memorial Enters Service To Norwood Hospital Move Made After Tests Show Books Have Therapeutic Value Hospital Library Service became a reality in Norwood Monday afternoon when patients in wards and private rooms at the Norwood Hospital found a book truck wheeled to their bedside between one and five o’clock. Fifty-four books circulated, representing suitable…
-
This Day in Norwood History-November 30
17th Child Is Born To Woman, 36 A 17th child—a boy—was born to Mr. and Mrs. Geza Groh of 328 Railroad Avenue, Norwood, at the Norwood Hospital. The new addition gives the family 15 children now living, the oldest of whom is 20. The father is 50 and the mother, who was married at the…
-
1000 Year Storm Hits Norwood, Massive Flooding, Hospital Evacuated-June 28, 2020
A historic “back building” thunderstorm on June 28, 2020, dropped over four inches of rain on Norwood in ninety minutes, causing catastrophic flooding that completely knocked out power at Norwood Hospital and forced an emergency evacuation.
-
Norwood Hospital Celebrates 100th-November 12, 2019
In the last century, Norwood Hospital underwent a remarkable transformation, evolving from a modest one-room medical facility to a sprawling campus equipped with cutting-edge technology and regional services not commonly found in nearby establishments. Salvatore Perla, the president of Norwood Hospital, shared insights into the year-long celebration of the hospital’s centennial and offered a glimpse…
-
Norwood Hospital Welcomes America’s Favorite TV Mom, Florence Henderson-October 29, 2016
From Norwood Hospital: NORWOOD, MA – Florence Henderson surprised an elated group of Norwood Hospital patients on Saturday, October 29th with a visit to the community hospital. Ms. Henderson, who played American’s Favorite TV Mom, Carol Brady on The Brady Bunch, was in town for the Best Years Expo at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. After…
Discover more from Norwood Historical Society
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.