Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital is a 216-bed hospital located in Brockton, Massachusetts.^[2]

Brockton Hospital is equipped with the Helen Greene Cardiac Catheterization Suite. The cardiac suite is equipped to perform Intravascular Ultrasounds, AngioJets, Radial Stenting, Advanced X-Rays, and more. It was donated in 2007 by the W.B. Mason Company.^[3] The hospital is affiliated with the Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center.

The hospital has been closed since early March 2023 due to a fire.

History

Brockton Hospital was established in 1897 as a not-for-profit community teaching hospital with 219 beds serving more than 20 communities in Southeastern Massachusetts. Since its creation, Brockton Hospital has been known for its school of nursing and has been teaching nurses for over 100 years. At the time of creation, Brockton Hospital's nursing school was similar to that of other nursing schools in that it was attached to the hospital. However, it is unique today in that it is the only hospital-based nursing school in Massachusetts. To this day, Brockton Hospital offers graduate medical education programs in a number of fields.

In December of 2007, Brockton Hospital changed its multigenerational name from when it partnered with Signature Health. By partnering with Signature Health, Brockton Hospital became a regional institution, acquiring a system of primary care physicians and medical centers to create a larger, newer healthcare system.

Mission

The mission of Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital is to be the leading community-based hospital in Southeastern Massachusetts that provides care to all patients regardless of their ability to pay. As a member of the Signature Healthcare family, Brockton Hospital shares a mission and vision with Signature Healthcare which is to be the leading community-based healthcare delivery system in Southeastern Massachusetts. Brockton Hospital provides a full range of services including primary care, specialty care, hospital care, and related ancillary services on a coordinated basis. In addition to the goals outlined above, Brockton Hospital strives to make all results publicly available to organizations actively working towards improving the quality and safety of health care. The hospital takes an active leadership role in improving the healthcare needs of Southeastern Massachusetts through community partnerships and collaborations. The hospital strives to develop new services and programs and to participate in regional healthcare systems to respond to community needs and broaden healthcare access. Finally, Brockton Hospital actively participates in the education of healthcare professionals and commits to an electronic medical record environment aimed at eliminating errors, enhancing physician productivity and job satisfaction, and responding to consumer requests for electronic communication.^[4]

Broader Impact on the Brockton Community

Brockton as a city has grown to become one of the most diverse areas in the State of Massachusetts. As of the 2020 Census, there were 105,673 residents of Brockton, 50.9% of whom are African American, 27.3% White, and 11.9% Latino.^[7] Nevertheless, the city was not always this way. As of 1970, Brockton was home to 89,000 people of whom 98% were white. However, as of 2020, Brockton is majority black for the first time making it unique amongst New England cities. ^[8]

Brockton officially became a city in 1881. With farms giving way to shoe and textile factories, the once-quiet town in Southeastern Massachusetts began experiencing significant population growth to meet the demands of the industrial workforce along the Salisbury River Plain. In 1900, the city had a population of approximately 40,000 with about 15% of residents employed by shoemaking factories. As the city progressed, its legacy as a culturally diverse city even in the earlier portion of the 20th century made it an attractive landing spot for new African Americans looking to settle in Massachusetts. Prior to African Americans finding a home in Brockton, the city was home to a wide range of nationalities including but not limited to Lithuanians, Greeks, Irish, and Portuguese.^[9]

Brockton Hospital has been at the center of the city's ever-changing demographics by continuing to provide care no matter a person's ability to pay. Opening its doors in 1897, Brockton Hospital has been a staple of the community through all demographic shifts. Providing medical care to foreign immigrants looking to start a new life in Brockton as a result of the booming industrial economy or even migrating African Americans looking to escape the difficulties of the segregated south are two of the many reasons why Brockton was an attractive landing spot for migrants. Additionally, Brockton was a stop and destination for African Americans traveling along the historic underground railroad.^[10]

As proof of the hospital's influential impact on the medical landscape of Southeast Massachusetts, the closing of the hospital because of a recent fire has had significant effects. Spillover effects to Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton have been significant with patients and ambulances being told not to go to Good Samaritan Medical Center because of too high of a volume.^[11]

Brockton's identity as a working-class city has given way to the city's reliance upon not-for-profit healthcare facilities. The city's industrial prowess throughout the 20th century was supported by local community hospitals and healthcare centers, which allowed the city to support its laboring citizens.

References