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SD 4012

Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children Status - May 2026

194th Legislature (2025-2026)

The bill requires the Department of Public Health to provide monthly status reports on the Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children, detailing services, census, admissions, disc

Placed on file
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Bill Summary · SD 4012

Summary of SD 4012 (Session 194th) – Massachusetts

Purpose and intent

  • The bill centers on the status and operations of the Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children (PRHC). It establishes a legislative mandate requiring the Department of Public Health (DPH) to report on the hospital’s status, services, staffing, and patient census, with data shared monthly through at least August 2025 and continuing thereafter as specified.
  • The reporting requirement is invoked under Line Item 4590-0915 of Chapter 9 of the Acts of 2025.

Key provisions and changes

  • The DPH must prepare and submit a status report to:
    • Joint Committee on Public Health
    • House Ways and Means Committee
    • Senate Ways and Means Committee
  • Required contents of the report:
    1. Overview of services and programs at PRHC, including medical, recreational, and educational offerings.
    2. Any reductions or terminations of services and the rationales for each change.
    3. Hospital census as of January 1, 2025.
    4. Monthly admissions since January 1, 2025.
    5. Monthly discharges since January 1, 2025.
    6. Total staff employed at PRHC, broken down by profession (e.g., teachers, nurses, administrators, and other professionals).
  • Specific service descriptions (as documented in the accompanying report) include:
    • Medical: Medically Complex Care; Medical/Behavioral Service; Caregiver Short-Term Respite.
    • Therapeutic/Recreational: Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech-Language Therapy, Psychosocial Support, Recreational Therapy (including equine and rhythmic movement therapies), and community integration efforts.
    • Educational: Special education services aligned with DESE’s SEIS program and each student’s IEP.
  • Documented service disruption:
    • A specific incident on 4/23/2026 involving a boiler steam leak led to a temporary reduction/termination of certain on-site services due to safety concerns, with details of fire department responses and repairs included.
  • Census and staffing data (as of early 2025 through April 2026):
    • January 1, 2025 census: 39 patients (37 long-term care, 2 caregiver respite).
    • Monthly admissions and discharges are provided for long-term care and caregiver respite categories, with a rolling monthly census figure shown for each month from Jan 2025 onward (values generally trending downward through 2026 in the provided table).
    • Employed staff (FTEs) as of 4/21/2026: total DPH and DESE staff combined at 192.24 FTEs, with a breakdown by department (administrative, nursing, clinical, educational, security, maintenance, etc.). Specific counts include details such as Registered Nurses (RN 30.7 FTEs), Licensed Practical Nurses (6.6), Nursing Assistants (49.4), Teachers (8.0), Specialist Teachers (3.0), and other roles.

Who is affected

  • Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children and its patients, families, and staff are the primary direct stakeholders, along with state agencies overseeing health and education (DPH and DESE).
  • The reporting process affects legislative oversight by the Joint Committee on Public Health and the Ways and Means committees (budget and policy review).

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • The mandate requires monthly reports beginning no later than August 18, 2025, with continued reporting to the specified committees.
  • The documents detail the hospital’s ongoing operations, service levels, and staffing, enabling legislative review of program effectiveness, stability, and any need for policy or funding adjustments.
  • An action history note indicates the bill’s status: “Placed on file” as of June 23, 2026, meaning it has been documented but not enacted as standalone legislation, though the reporting mandate continues under the referenced line item.

Overall impact

  • The bill formalizes ongoing oversight of PRHC’s services, capacity, and staffing, ensuring transparency about medical, therapeutic, and educational programs, as well as any changes in service levels.
  • It provides a structured mechanism for lawmakers to monitor patient census, admissions/discharges, and workforce needs, informing future budget and policy decisions.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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