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Hospital Closure Leaves Fate of 225 Acres Unclear

MEDFIELD, MA-While the town seems to be unaware of the decision, a state official tells GlobeSt.com that Medfield State Hospital will be closed. But what's in store for the 225-acre parcel on which the hospital is located remains anybody's guess.

By Naomi Grossman | Updated on May 13, 2002

MEDFIELD, MA-It is clear now that the state plans on closing Medfield State Hospital. What remains uncertain is what will happen to the hospital’s 225-acre parcel. And if the state’s experiences with its other hospitals are any indication, that question won’t be answered for years to come.

Michael Sullivan, Medfield’s town administrator, tells GlobeSt.com that the state’s decision about this hospital that serves the mentally disabled is “still up in the air” but according to Anna Chinappi, a spokesperson for the state’s Department of Mental Health, the decision has been made.

Chinappi attributes the closing to budget constraints as well as the progressive treatment of mental illnesses that allows more patients to live within the community. The hospital now has 110 patients. At its height, in the 1950s, it had 1,500. She notes that the hospital also needs major repair at a cost of $15 million, which is in addition to its annual operating costs of $20 million. The hospital campus currently has 86 buildings, only 15 of which are in use. This year, the House recommended budget cuts for the department of mental health of $12.8 million.

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