After 117 years of service to Waltham and surrounding communities, Waltham Hospital shut its doors for good this past July. This shutdown came after an unsuccessful yearlong battle to save the hospital fought by Waltham residents, politicians and a real estate developer. In January 2002, the hospital faced its first threat of closing when the Caregroup Healthcare System - the Harvard-affiliated team that ran the hospital then known as Deaconess-Waltham - announced plans to shut it down.

Soon after, the Coalition to Save Waltham Hospital formed. With the financial help of real estate developer Roy McDowell, the coalition was able to buy the hospital from Caregroup and reopen it under new management.

Brandeis' Emergency Medical Corps. (BEMCo) was part of this coalition advocating for the hospital to remain open. "A community hospital is always a benefit to the community and Brandeis especially," said Matthew Harris '04, BEMCo's Director of Operations.

This past May, however, the hospital's board of trustees voted that the Waltham Hospital could not be saved this time. With less patient admissions resulting in a low budget, the hospital had to decide whether they wanted to cut costs even more - compromising their quality - or shut down the hospital for good.

According to a July 18 Boston Globe article, the closing of the hospital symbolizes a loss of pride for the Waltham community as a whole. Once an entirely separate entity from Boston and the surrounding area, Waltham must now rely on neighbors, such as Newton-Wellesley, to provide hospital care.

Currently in place of Waltham Hospital is Sterling Medical Center. For the next 6 months, this center will provide 24-hour Basic Life Support services, although it will not accept patients from ambulances.

For Brandeis students, the closing of Waltham Hospital has come as a great concern.

"Last year it seemed like there was at least one ambulance every Saturday night on campus. It's a shame that these ambulances have to travel so far instead of being able to go down the street," said Mark McGrath '06.

However, Harris expressed confidence that Brandeis and the entire Waltham community have dealt with the closing of the hospital in an extremely efficient manner.

"Losing a hospital is never a good thing, but the municipal services of Waltham and Brandeis have all implemented plans of how to deal with the closed hospital," he said.

Bemco plans on bringing its patients to Sterling Medical Center, except for those requiring an ambulance. "Students have a good option with Sterling," Harris said. Brandeis has already established a relationship with the new medical center, especially since many of the nurses from Waltham Hospital now work there. "There are many familiar faces in the emergency room," Harris remarked.

However, those students who do require being transported via ambulance must travel an extra five miles to get to the closest hospital. Depending on traffic, the trip could take many minutes. Also, students taken to Newton-Wellesley will be required to find their own transportation back to Brandeis, which could prove difficult.

Despite the many nuances caused by the closing of Waltham Hospital, Harris assures the Brandeis community that the effect will be minimal.

"BEMCo is continually in talks with the Brandeis Administration and the municipal associations of Waltham to see what is the best care, even without the hospital," he said. For now, Sterling Medical Center seems to be the best option.