GARDNER — Quartulli & Associates has suspended all therapeutic services to Heywood Hospital, following a 90-day notice of contract termination.

According to an announcement posted to Heywood Hospital’s social media pages, on the evening of Sunday, Sept. 17, Quartulli & Associates notified the hospital that it was suspending all services, effective Monday morning. This affected both Heywood and Athol hospitals. Based out of Athol, Quartulli & Associates provides physical and occupational therapy.

“Heywood recently provided Quartulli & Associates with a 90-day contract termination notice after attempts to discuss a plan of Heywood assuming the management of rehabilitation services,” the statement read.

Dawn Casavant, vice president of strategy and external affairs for Heywood Hospital, wrote in an email that Quartulli & Associates has been “a long-term contracted provider” of physical therapy and occupational therapy.

Casavant said the reason for the termination notice — issued on Sept. 8 — was due to a change in administration that is “reviewing all historical contracts focused on patient access, efficiencies and long-term operational stability.”

In June, President and CEO Win Brown left Heywood Healthcare after 12 years in the role. Following this, a new structure was put in place, with the appointment two co-CEOs — CEO of Patient Care Services and Operations Rozanna Penney and CEO of Finance and Administration Tom Sullivan. At the time, this change was described as an “untraditional” leadership model.

Casavant wrote that roughly 200 patients were impacted daily due to the suspension of services, which resumed on Thursday under Heywood’s management, and will increase as recruitment for physical and occupational therapy providers continues. Athol's outpatient rehab services will restart on Monday and inpatient physical and occupational therapy on the two campuses have continued. Casavant added that Heywood has not defaulted on payments to Quartulli & Associates as of the date of termination notice. 

Attempts to reach a representative of Quartulli & Associates for comment were not successful.

“Unfortunately, Quartulli Associates elected to abruptly suspend services to Heywood Healthcare, resulting in the cancellation of patient appointments,” Penney wrote in the statement. “Heywood has a moral and legal obligation to care for our patients, and has assumed full management of these services. We are working as quickly as possible to secure physical and occupational professionals to provide these important services.”

Heywood Healthcare is an independent, community-owned health care system serving north central Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire, comprised of Heywood Hospital in Gardner, Athol Hospital, Heywood Medical Group and The Quabbin Retreat.

Max Bowen can be reached at 413-930-4074 or mbowen@recorder.com.