MASS. STATE HOUSE — Sen. John Cronin, who represents Westford, joined Gov. Maura Healey, Rep. Margaret Scarsdale and local elected officials and fire chiefs from the Nashoba Valley region, to celebrate $5 million in the S.2575 supplemental budget towards emergency funding for the region’s fire and emergency medical services (EMS) departments on Monday.
The funding was approved overwhelmingly by the House of Representatives of July 31, and is meant to address the fallout triggered by the sudden closure of the Nashoba Valley Medical Center nearly a year ago on Aug. 31, 2024. The closure of the hospital left thousands of residents across North Central Massachusetts without a hospital in close proximity, and reduced access to healthcare as a result.
In the months following the closure, fire departments in the area have struggled with inflated overtime costs and call volumes, longer patient transport times, and increased mental and physical strain on staff and equipment. Additionally, doctors, nurses and staff at other hospitals in the region have faced an overflow of patients arriving from the Nashoba Valley area.
“This investment is a significant step to give our region’s Fire and EMS the tools they need to keep us safe,” Cronin said. “I’m grateful to Governor Healey, Representative Scarsdale and the Nashoba delegation, and our region’s fire chiefs and EMS workers for their advocacy to secure this funding to ensure that residents across North Central have access to emergency care.”
Scarsdale, who was named Co-Chair of the Nashoba Valley Emergency, Outpatient, and Health Services Working Group established by Healey, has played a significant role in both the local and statewide efforts to address the fallout following the hospital’s closure. This has included helping secure a long-term solution to the region’s healthcare crisis, through UMass Memorial Medical Center’s recent commitment to operate a standalone emergency facility in Groton, which is set to open in late 2026.
The $5 million in emergency funding will provide a relief for the local communities who have been financially struggling to support their first responders during the interim period since the Nashoba Valley’s closure.
“Our Fire Chiefs raised the alarm a year ago, and I took action immediately,” Scarsdale said. “As co-Chair of the Governor’s Hospital Working Group, we set two main goals: Addressing the financial hit that devastated our area’s EMS departments, and the restoration of emergency services to this area. We have been successful on both fronts, and I am proud to have led these efforts. Thank you to the Governor for recognizing and responding to this challenge; my co-chair, Robert Pontbriand, Ayer Town Manager; House Speaker Mariano, Senate President Spilka; Senators Cronin, Kennedy, and Eldridge; and Representatives Arciero, Higgins, Kushmerek, and Sena for their leadership and partnership.”
