Mayors asked to hold meetings about proposed Southcoast Health, Care New England merger

NEW BEDFORD and Fall River mayors are being asked by Massachusetts health care workers, labor leaders and social justice advocates for more meetings about the proposed merger between Southcoast Health and Care New England.
NEW BEDFORD and Fall River mayors are being asked by Massachusetts health care workers, labor leaders and social justice advocates for more meetings about the proposed merger between Southcoast Health and Care New England.

(Updated 12:55 p.m. and 3:39 p.m.)
NEW BEDFORD – New Bedford and Fall River mayors are being asked by Massachusetts health care workers, labor leaders and social justice advocates to hold additional meetings about the proposed merger between Southcoast Health and Care New England.
The Aug. 8 letter to Fall River Mayor Jasiel F. Correia and New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell was signed by representatives of the New Bedford branch of the NAACP, Mass Senior Action, Coalition for Social Justice and other groups, as well as health care and labor leaders.
They are asking the mayors to convene a meeting, or meetings, separate from those required under the regulatory process “to fully and transparently discuss the merger; ensure that community concerns are addressed early; and explore if any positive potential of such changes can be realized.”
They wrote that they recognize that the merger could have “significant effects” on the region, as Southcoast Health provides “critically needed” health care, and also has a substantial impact on its economic health.
“Because of this fact, we believe substantial changes to this organization are of vital importance to all of us. It is our obligation as community leaders to facilitate an open dialogue about changes that affect the way care is accessed in our area,” they wrote.

“Without scrutiny from elected leaders, Fall River and New Bedford residents could find their health care threatened as a result of this merger,” Tyrék D. Lee Sr., executive vice president of 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, said in a statement. “We’re asking our elected officials to step up and ensure strict review so that quality access to health care remains a priority on the South Coast.”
Concerns have been raised that the merger could increase health care costs for consumers, and that hospital layoffs also could result.
Health care workers launched the website southcoastworkervoice.org to share information about the potential merger.
Correia said the process for public comment already in place is sufficient.
“I am satisfied that the process for public comment already in place is sufficient to ensure that the interests of the people of the Southcoast will be well represented. As this process moves forward, I will participate as a representative of my city. I look forward to collaborating with all interested parties to make sure that the public interest is served,” Correia wrote in an email.
Elizabeth Treadup Pio, public information officer for New Bedford, said the mayor is most concerned with making sure that input from local residents is taken seriously by state regulators who, unlike municipal government, are specifically given the authority to review the proposed SouthCoast-CNE merger.

“Three different Massachusetts state agencies — the Attorney General’s Office, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission – all will be examining the impacts of the merger. As part of their efforts, there will be at least one public meeting in New Bedford, as well as other meetings in Rhode Island in the weeks and months ahead. The mayor believes our priority as a community and region ought to be to take maximum advantage of the opportunities to engage state regulators and have a strong community turnout at all public meetings that are held by the regulatory agencies. The mayor intends to participate himself and he encourages others to do the same,” she said.

Peter Cohenno, Southcoast Health spokesperson, wrote in an email that it appears the call for more public meetings “seems more about generating publicity than genuinely engaging in a discussion about the needs of the South Coast community.”
“SEIU leadership is well aware of the in-depth public governmental review and approval process that will be required of Southcoast Health and Care New England in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island,” Cohenno said. “We have an open dialogue with both Mayor Mitchell and Mayor Correia’s offices, and with all public officials, concerning every facet of our proposed affiliation, and intend to continue a transparent and open process on a broad range of issues,” Cohenno added.

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