Dr. Mark A. Keroack, President & CEO, Baystate Health addresses the audience gathered on the lawn of Westfield’s Noble Hospital for the formal announcement of the merger between Baystate Health Systems and Noble Hospital.
Attendees of the Baystate Noble merger announcement mingle with each other after the formal ceremonies concluded.
Dr. Mark A. Keroack, President & CEO, Baystate Health speak to the audience gathered on the lawn of Westfield’s Noble Hospital.
WESTFIELD – The new Baystate Noble Hospital celebrated a new beginning yesterday that was a homecoming for some.
State Sen. Donald F. Humason was born at the former independent Noble Hospital and offered congratulations Tuesday morning on the acquisition of Noble Hospital by Baystate Health System.
Humason recounted the times he was treated at the hospital as a child, how his mother worked there, and how he and his wife have brought their son there for care.
“In the changing times of health care, this is good,” said Humason. “It’s a beautiful day.”
Former Noble Hospital Trustee Robert Bacon, now a Baystate Noble trustee, said the acquisition saved Noble Hospital.
“For us to remain a community hospital, standing alone was impossible,” said Bacon. “Noble had to change – we couldn’t continue.”
Baystate Noble Hospital President Ronald Bryant agreed and noted that the common thread between all formerly independent hospitals acquired by Baystate is that they all still exist.
Bryant said Noble Hospital was one of the city’s largest employers with 750 on staff, and there are no plans to change that at this time.
“There will be no changes in employment right now,” Bryant said. “We are already a lean organization.”
Dr. Mark A. Keroack, president and chief executive officer of Baystate Health, said Baystate Noble is now part of a regional system of care that will benefit Noble patients.
Baystate Noble will have access to more specialists and will eventually have seamless care within the Baystate Health System.
Baystate Noble Chief Hospitalist Dr. T. Britton Percy embodied the merger of Noble Hospital with Baystate Health System, calling both places home.
Percy joined Baystate Medical Center after a chance meeting on the side of the road in Pennsylvania. Percy, an Ohio native, found himself broken down next to another Ohio native who happened to be chief of residents at Baystate. Percy was looking for a residency and the two doctors clicked. Percy was offered a job, which he took partly based on the connection and what he said was the humanity and culture he found at Baystate. A dozen years later, Percy worked for the Weldon Rehabilitation Center and was looking for a change and found that same family atmosphere at Noble Hospital.
He crossed paths with Baystate again when he suffered a heart attack in 2013. He was saved and he credited Baystate for having him back to work two weeks later.
“This merger, for me, has a feeling of community,” said Percy.
Dennis W. Chalke, senior vice president of Baystate Community Hospitals and chief financial officer of Baystate Health, said once the acquisition was apparent several months ago, an “aggressive” deadline of July 1 was set to complete the merger. Chalke said because it was the right fit, the transition was quick.
“It went smoothly because people realized it was the right thing to do,” said Chalke, adding “the success of this partnership is based not on how it’s gone so far, but on how we go forward.”
Looking to the future, Baystate Noble is set to open a second urgent care center. The new center in Feeding Hills should be open this October. The existing Noble Express Care at 57 Union St. will remain open.
Mayor Daniel M. Knapik, who was also born at Noble Hospital, touted the hospital and its response to Westfield’s needs, especially because of the city’s influx of refugee families who could not get to Springfield for urgent care.
State Rep. John Velis also congratulated the hospital and said he looked forward to “better services for the people of Westfield and beyond.”
