Lawrence Memorial Hospital Closing ER, Enhancing Urgent Care

MEDFORD, MA – Lawrence Memorial Hospital plans to end emergency room service and broaden the scope of its urgent care, MelroseWakefield Healthcare announced this week. The changes come as emergency room usage has steadily declined at the hospital, MelroseWakefield Healthcare CEO Sue Sandberg said in an email to physicians and employees.

"With seven other emergency departments within the greater vicinity, the Lawrence Memorial Hospital satellite emergency facility in FY18 was the least used emergency site in the state," Sandberg wrote. Visits to the facility are down 32 percent from 2016, she added.

The plan is to focus the hospital's resources on bringing more internal medicine, family medicine and specialty physicians to the hospital; providing specialty programs such as diabetes care and women’s health; and advancing outpatient surgery with the development of a state-of-the-art ambulatory surgery center, according to Sandberg.

Urgent care hours will also be extended to 7 a.m.-11 p.m. daily, amounting to 36 additional hours of coverage per week. The hospital has notified the DPH of its intent to file its request to end emergency services, which will open a 90-day review process by the state.

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to reflect the change in urgent care hours. Regular hospital hours will remain the same.

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