Baystate Health to absorb Springfield’s Mercy Medical Center

Baystate Health recently announced that it will absorb Mercy Medical Center (pictured), which has been operated by Trinity Health of New England since 2015.
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen

SPRINGFIELD — Mercy Medical Center is slated to become Baystate Mercy Hospital by the end of the year.

Mercy has been affiliated with Trinity Health of New England for more than a decade,

In announcing Baystate Health’s acquisition of Mercy, Baystate Health President and CEO Peter D. Banko, stated, “Mercy and the Sisters of Providence have been a fixture in our community since 1874. This is an investment in both the past and the future of health care and economic development in Western Massachusetts. Today, access forces too many patients to leave the region to seek care, and we need to ensure that care is compassionate, high quality, affordable, and local.”

A joint press release from Baystate and Trinity about the transition cited, “inadequate reimbursement for care, industry-wide shifts — such as declining payment rates, changing consumer preferences toward outpatient services and persistent staffing shortages,” at Mercy as reasons behind the move.

Mercy has taken steps in recent years to bolster its financial position. Among them, Mercy Medical Center’s Certified Nurse Midwives moved maternity delivery services to Baystate Medical Center in December 2025. Baystate’s website states, “We have rigorously prepared for an additional 800 deliveries annually, including actively recruiting more OB/GYNs, midwives and nurses.”

Mayor Domenic Sarno released a statement on the merger. “I am very thankful to Baystate Health’s efforts to preserve two hospitals in the city. There was a distinct possibility that Mercy/Trinity would simply close down. That was unacceptable,” Sarno said. “From the beginning, with my continued interaction with Baystate Health and Mercy/Trinity officials, as well as state officials, notably Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, I indicated that it was imperative that Springfield and the region must preserve two top notch hospitals for health care accessibility for the residents of Springfield and the surrounding areas. I am thankful to Baystate Health President & CEO Peter Banko, Gov. Healey, Lt. Gov. Driscoll and all parties involved for their efforts, and after long negotiations, that this has come to fruition.”

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, who represents the state’s first congressional district, including the greater Springfield area, also praised the move. “I am pleased that Baystate Health and Trinity Health have reached an agreement that will allow these two vibrant hospitals to continue serving our communities,” Neal said. “As the country continues to grapple with unprecedented health care cuts resulting from President Trump’s One Big, Ugly Law, this acquisition will expand access to health care and improve services throughout the Pioneer Valley and beyond.”

Neal continued, “Together, these institutions represent more than three centuries of service to western and central Massachusetts. Ensuring their viability and continued success is vital to the health of our families and our local economies, and this announcement represents a critical step in strengthening our regional health care system for generations to come.”

Baystate issued a statement thanking the Healey-Driscoll administration, Neal, Sarno and the Western Massachusetts Legislative Delegation “for their steadfast and unwavering support of this hospital partnership in Western Massachusetts.”

Despite this statement, some members of the Western Massachusetts legislative delegation have questions about the change. State Rep. Carlos Gonzalez said he has reached out to Banko to request a meeting with himself and the rest of the Springfield delegation to discuss the implications for local health care services and personnel.

“The announcement of the acquisition raises significant concerns regarding the future of our health care landscape,” said Gonzalez. “It is vital that we ensure the continued operation of both hospitals in Springfield. Protecting our dedicated workers and staff is essential, as is guaranteeing that our community retains access to critical medical services.”

Like Gonzalez, state Sen. Jake Oliveira, who represents portions of Springfield, also said he has many questions about Mercy becoming affiliated with Baystate. However, he said the priority is to ensure that both Mercy and Baystate Medical Center continue to operate.

“If Mercy shut their doors, it would send a ripple effect” through Western Massachusetts health care, he said, adding that the hospital serves a lot of people on Medicare and Medicaid. “It’s my hope that we have two hospitals operating in Springfield because there is such a great need.”

Oliveira said he hopes that Mercy will keep its character, as he said other hospitals have done after being absorbed by Baystate. He said many people seek treatment at Mercy because it is a Catholic hospital and people “value that kind of care.”

The legislator said he was concerned about health care consolidation but pointed out that Baystate hospitals are not people’s only options in the Pioneer Valley. Cooley-Dickinson Hospital in Northampton is affiliated with Mass General Brigham and Holyoke Medical Center is an independent hospital.

Trinity Health of New England stated on its website that no immediate staffing changes are planned. The health care group declined to make any other comment. Reminder Publishing reached out to Baystate with questions about staffing and personnel changes but did not receive a response by press time.

Provided that the transition is approved after the regulatory review process, Mercy will be absorbed on Nov. 1.