South Shore Hospital

South Shore Hospital
Geography
Location	55 Fogg Road, Weymouth, Massachusetts, United States
Coordinates	42°10′33″N70°57′15″W / 42.1758°N 70.9542°W / 42.1758; -70.9542
Services
Emergency department	Level II Trauma Center
Beds	396
History
Opened	1922 [1]
Links
Website	www.southshorehealth.org/locations/south-shore-hospital
Lists	Hospitals in Massachusetts

South Shore Hospital is a 396-bed hospital located in Weymouth, Massachusetts. ^[2] It is the only community hospital within the state that operates a Level III neonatal intensive care unit. ^[2] It is also one of two hospitals in Massachusetts with a Level II designation for adults.

History

The hospital opened in 1922 and was originally named Weymouth Hospital. ^[1] It was located in a pre-Civil War mansion, in what was once the home of H.B. Reed, a prominent shoe manufacturer. ^[3] It contained 22 beds, a delivery room, a nursery, an operating room, and an x-ray machine. ^[3] Within its first six months of operation, the hospital grew too large for the space that was provided by the mansion, and subsequently doubled in size. ^[1] In 1967, the building was replaced entirely ^[3] South Shore Hospital was the first private organization in the country that received funding from the Public Works Administration. ^[4] It was also one of the first community hospitals that offered day surgery and twenty-four hour emergency room staffing. ^[4] It was the first hospital in New England that integrated and group hospitalization and insurance. ^[4]

South Shore Hospital has been a clinical affiliate of Brigham & Women's Hospital since 2004. ^[5] In 2015, Partners HealthCare -- the parent of the Brigham -- withdrew a proposal to acquire South Shore Hospital amid opposition from then state Attorney General Maura Healey. ^[6] In 2021, the board of South Shore Health, the owner of the hospital, announced it would continue to serve as an independent health care system for the time being. ^[5]

Current Operations

The hospital employs 1,063 medical staff members. ^[2] Its maternity center oversees the delivery of approximately 3,083 infants every year. ^[2] The surgical team performs 20,020 surgeries per year. ^[2] In 2018, the hospital reported a total of 29,659 patient discharges. ^[2]

Awards and recognition

South Shore Hospital has received a federal safety rating of four out of five stars from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. ^[2]

In 2018, its cardiac catheterization lab was awarded a gold star from the American Heart Association for adherence to strict performance standards and providing quality treatment to its patients. ^{[2] [7]}

The Leapfrog Group has recognized South Shore Hospital as a Top General Hospital. ^[8] In 2019, the hospital was designated with an "A" safety grade. ^[9]

References

1. Aubut, Richard; Walsh, Myrna (2012). South Shore Hospital. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN   978-0-7385-7677-0.
2. Trufant, Jessica. "South Shore Health is creating a medical mecca". The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
3. Debbie Sargent Sullivan; Joanne Palmieri Tighe (2001). Weymouth. Arcadia Publishing. p. 50. ISBN   978-0-7385-0926-6 . Retrieved 9 December 2019.
4. Richard Aubut; Myrna Walsh (2012), South Shore Hospital, Arcadia Publishing, pp. 7–8, ISBN   978-0-7385-7677-0 , retrieved 9 December 2019
5. Trufant, Jessica (31 March 2021). "After exploring options, board votes to keep South Shore Health independent". The Patriot Ledger. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
6. Schiavone, Christian (17 February 2015). "Partners withdraws bid to merge with South Shore Hospital". The Patriot Ledger. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
7. "South Shore Hospital honored with American Heart Association's Mission: Lifeline Gold achievement award". South Shore Health. 2018-07-21. Retrieved 2019-12-11.
8. "South Shore Hospital". South Shore Health. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
9. "Leapfrog rating designates South Shore Hospital among the safest in the U.S." South Shore Health. 2019-11-07. Retrieved 2019-12-11.