CANTON, Mass. — Officials continue to urge Governor Maura Healey to reconsider closing a children’s rehab facility — a move which she is reportedly already contemplating.
On Tuesday, Town Administrator Charles Doody and Select Board Chair Michael Loughran reaffirmed that the Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children, which provides treatment, education, recreation and transitional services for disabled children and young adults, should remain open.
“We’d like to see it remain open for another 120 years,” Town Administrator Doody said.
On Friday, Congressman Stephen Lynch and other lawmakers toured the state-run facility, which has been operating since 1904.
Following the tour, Lynch said he spoke to Healey and that she agreed to take a closer look at all options for Pappas, a pivot from her previous plan to shutter the campus and move services to Western Massachusetts Hospital due to deteriorating conditions. The initial plan received pushback from current and former patients, as well as the community at large.
Select Board Chair Loughran says he’s “encouraged” that Healey has heard of the town’s concerns.
“Many residents in Canton were disheartened by the governor’s announcement that the state would be closing the Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children in Canton,” he said. “We’re relieved to hear that Gov. Maura Healey and her administration will be taking another look at the facility.”
Gov. Healey did not comment on whether the closure will be halted, but a spokesperson for her office told Boston 25 News in a statement Friday:
“Our administration appreciates the feedback we’ve received from patients, families, employees, labor and elected officials. We all share the same goal of ensuring high-quality, modernized and specialized care for the young people we serve, as well as supporting our hardworking employees. We look forward to continued collaboration on the path forward to provide the best setting for these children.”
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2025 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
