South Shore Hospital

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.

South Shore Hospital
Geography
Location	55 Fogg Road, Weymouth, Massachusetts, United States
Coordinates	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

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]