Two lawmakers looking to preserve the vestiges of Steward Health Care’s network in Norwood and Foxborough filed proposals nearly a month ago to keep outpatient clinics open as they also seek to revive construction at Norwood Hospital, but the bills have idled and the license central to the operations expired this week.

Steward last month announced its intent to abandon the hospital, which closed in June 2020 after catastrophic flooding, and four affiliated facilities that have continued to operate under the same Norwood license. The early October proposals from state Rep. John Rogers and state Sen. Mike Rush didn’t even warrant a public hearing since their filing and now the Legislature is out of session until after the license expires.

The proposals authorize and direct the Department of Public Health to extend the license “in order to maintain the provision of health care services, including, but not limited to, the provision of chemotherapy, radiation, radiology, and other forms of life-saving health care and therapies and studies” in facilities in Norwood and Foxborough. The petitions, filed on Oct. 7, specifically mention Norwood Hospital Cancer Center, Norwood Performance Therapy, “Foxboro” and “any other such facilities” operating under the license.

The House sent Rogers’s petition to the Joint Public Health Committee on Thursday, Oct. 31 and the Senate concurred in that action on Monday of this week. It also referred Rush’s petition, which hasn’t received a bill number yet, to the Joint Health Care Financing Committee. The petitions propose emergency laws that supporters deem “necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health.”

Said Rush and Rogers said in a joint statement Friday to the News Service: “Our offices have remained in constant contact with the Healey administration voicing the need to extend Norwood Hospital’s license, set to expire on Nov. 5 and to establish a task force to prioritize this issue, help secure a qualified buyer, and accelerate reconstruction efforts. We will continue to work tirelessly to keep this issue at the forefront for all involved parties, aiming to restore critical healthcare services and ensure accessible healthcare for the people of Norwood and surrounding communities.”

Asked whether DPH supports the proposals, a spokesperson for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services said the department does not comment on pending legislation.

Steward on Oct. 7 filed its notice  with the state about shuttering Norwood Hospital and outpatient satellite campuses, prompting DPH to hold public hearings on the closures on Oct. 21 and Oct. 22. DPH, in a review dated Oct. 29, determined the hospital “is in fact an essential service necessary for preserving access and health status within the Hospital’s service area” but said the “determination does not give the Department the power to mandate that the Hospital remain open.”

In an Oct. 11 notice, Dr. Octavio Diaz, president of Steward’s north region, wrote: “This is a challenging and unfortunate situation, and the effect it will have on the Hospital’s patients, employees, and the community served is regrettable. SHC’s overwhelming priority is to our patients, their families and our dedicated employees. We are committed to facilitating a smooth transition for those affected, while continuing to provide quality care to our patients. Among other things, SHC will work closely with the Hospital’s patients to help them find the best possible care alternative and with our valued employees and health care professionals to assist during this difficult transition.”