Last updated on April 7, 2018
The Shattuck Hospital campus will see a bunch of changes in the coming months and years. The state is planning to relocate 260 inpatient beds and other programs from Jamaica Plain to the South End in 2021, while also recently approving a 99-year lease for two acres of housing for chronically homeless individuals. There are two upcoming community meetings to discuss the changes.
There will be an April 12th meeting to discuss the programs that are moving. During the meeting Massachusetts Secretary of Health & Human Services Marylou Sudders will be providing an overview of the relocation project and outline of the 12-month planning process. The state would like to hear community input for the future use of the 13-acre campus located at 170 Morton Street during the 4-hour meeting.
The following services are going to be relocated, according to mass.gov’s page about the relocation project:
- 260 inpatient beds: 117 inpatient medical/surgical beds (operated by Department of Public Health); 28 medical/surgical beds dedicated to Department of Corrections patients; 115 inpatient psychiatric beds (operated by the Department of Mental Health)
- Select outpatient and ancillary services such as, primary care, orthopedics, radiology and diagnostics
The following services are not being relocated:
- Nonprofit provider programs currently operating at the Shattuck, including residential treatment programs, outpatient psychiatric services, Pine Street shelter and methadone clinic.
The state is moving programs from the Shattuck Hospital because it needs extensive renovations to maintain its current level of care. State officials said relocating programs to the Newton Pavilion in the South End, which is owned and operated by the Boston Medical Center, allows the commonwealth to continue to provide services to patients without interruption.
It’s also more cost-effective than renovating the Shattuck or new construction. The state estimates relocating programs will cost around $200 million, and renovating the Shattuck Hospital or building a new facility could cost $400 to $500 million. Thus the state will save more than $200 million by relocating programs.
The community meeting will discuss the relocation plan, including any transportation issues and more. The meeting will be at English High School, 144 McBride St. on Thursday, April 12th from 6 to 10 pm.
99-Year Lease for Supportive Housing
Meanwhile, the State’s Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) recently preliminarily approved a lease that could be up to 99 years for “supportive housing,” which is housing for the chronically homeless up to two acres on the Shattuck campus. The lessee will be determined through a bidding process. Click here for more information about this proposal. Written comments are being accepted through May 4th.
A public meeting about this proposal will be held on April 26th at English High School (cafeteria) from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. Written comments may be submitted at the meeting.