NESHCo 2025 Annual Conference

This is the story of Signature Healthcare facing the unimaginable. On February 7th, 2023, a 10-alarm fire broke out at Signature Healthcare’s main hospital. With smoke and fumes in the building and no electricity, the hospital made the call to evacuate. Brockton Hospital evacuated 162 patients when the electrical fire broke out. In all, 91 ambulances, 26 fire trucks, and nearly 300 emergency personnel responded. The impact of the fire was severe. Because the fire started during a shift change, extra staff were already on site to help care for and move patients, all without electricity, elevators, lights, computers, or phones. Fifteen hours later and with no fatalities or injuries to staff, patients, or firefighters, the fire was out, and all the hospital’s patients were safe in other locations. It was truly a heroic achievement. Reopening wouldn’t be a matter of a few months; it would require replacing the entire electrical system as well as other infrastructure for the 250,000 square foot building. Reopening would take over a year - dramatically impacting 460,000 area residents and 2,700 potentially displaced hospital employees. How would Signature respond? The immediate challenge was to communicate with and care for local residents, patients, and Signature employees while the team worked to reopen the hospital. At a time when Massachusetts was facing the Steward Health Bankruptcy and the Compass Medical closure, Signature was overcoming adversity and fulfilling its mission. Out of tragedy, Signature would quickly adapt, offer new services, and expand its market area. In response to this crisis and during the hospital's 18-month closure, Signature improved access to care.