Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey announced she is pausing the proposed closure of two state-run hospitals after public outcry from the community.
Patients and families told GBH News they’re relieved — for now.
Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children in Canton and Pocasset Mental Health Center in Bourne were on the chopping block in Healey’s 2026 budget proposal. The cuts would also eliminate 170 case management positions within the Department of Mental Health. The budget still has to be finalized by lawmakers, but plans had begun for the hospital closures.
But a Monday announcement from Healey said she’s directing teams to pause those plans “so that we can bring together a diverse group of stakeholders ... to conduct a further review of the care offered at these facilities and make recommendations on the best path forward to ensure we are providing the highest quality of care with the resources at hand.”
Pappas Hospital currently serves 36 patients. It’s a residential school that offers around-the-clock nursing care, therapeutic services, rehabilitation, education and recreational activities. Pocasset Mental Health Center is an inpatient psychiatric facility on Cape Cod.
Lewis Bellows has been living at Pappas for the past three years and wants other people to continue to have access to the same kind of care he’s received.
“Pappas is a safe and inclusive environment for both children and parents, and it allows parents to become parents again and not caregivers,” he said. “Pappas allows children to be defined by their abilities and not their disabilities.”
Bellows told GBH News the initial news of a proposed closure hurt him deeply, but now he feels relief mixed with worry. “They still have to decide on 'yes’ or 'no’ if it’s going to happen.”
Alma Alisch, a resident of Seekonk, said if Pappas closed it would be a tragedy and “a big disaster.” Her son, 21-year-old Billy Alisch, has cerebral palsy and is quadriplegic. He’s been living at Pappas since 2016. “It’s the best thing that ever happened to us,” she said.
Alisch said she’s happy about the pause, but it’s not enough, “We need something more concrete ... we need to speak to [Healey], we need a seat at the table so we can also voice what we need for kids now and in the future.”
As of now, Alisch said she doesn’t have a plan B for her son if Pappas closes. “They should not close this place because if they did that, that is a total disaster for the state of Massachusetts. They don’t know what they’re asking for.”
Alisch, Bellows and other advocates gathered at the State House on Tuesday to rally for the hospitals.
Sen. Dylan Fernandes, who represents Plymouth and Barnstable counties, said he is not only pushing for the hospitals to stay open, but for Pocasset to be expanded.
“In our region, we have a huge population that’s very geographically isolated that has some of the biggest mental health issues in the entire state. So I think there should be a push to actually expand beds at the Pocasset facility,” Fernandes said.
It is unclear how long the pause will last.
