LYNN — A crowd of residents pressed Salem Hospital leaders for answers about the future of Union Hospital.
With Union Hospital set to move all inpatient care to Salem Hospital by October 2019, the North Shore Medical Center held a community meeting Thursday night at the Franco-American War Veterans Hall in Lynn. NSMC president and cardiologist David Roberts led the discussion, going over data about Union Hospital’s patient care and outlining possible medical uses for the site.
He pitched the crowd on the concept of a medical village, located on a portion of the current Union Hospital. It could take care of 96 percent of Lynn’s health needs, including urgent care, specialty services, support services, behavioral health, and primary care service, he said.
He was less optimistic about creating a satellite emergency facility at the site, a more expensive option which would operate as an emergency room at a separate location from the hospital.
“It’s 10 million dollars and could even put patients at risk,” he said. About a quarter of all patients that go to such a facility need to be transported again to a hospital, according to Roberts.
After the presentation, Roberts opened the conversation to the crowd of 40-50 people.
Rose Posey spoke in favor of keeping emergency services in Lynn, saying the additional time needed to get to Salem Hospital could pose a danger to critical patients.
“If an ambulance is rushing a patient to Salem Hospital from Lynnfield during rush hour, people could die,” she said.
Lynn Director of Public Health Michele Desmarais found comfort in knowing that an urgent care facility could be kept in Lynn but wasn’t happy about everything at the meeting.
“I’m discouraged that the public health director was not [specifically] invited to attend tonight,” she said.
Ward 1 City Councilor Wayne Lozzi asked why the North Shore’s leaders were still focused on vague concepts rather than a concrete plan for Union’s future.
“If we’re only being presented with a few options,” he said, “you should have probably started [planning] already.”
