Where to Go for Care
A practical guide to the hospital systems serving Plymouth and Bristol County, plus how to choose the right level of care for the situation.
| Situation | Where to Go | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Routine, preventive, or chronic care | A primary care provider | Primary care covers routine visits, preventive screenings, acute illness, chronic disease management, and referrals. |
| Non-emergency illness or injury | Urgent care, before the ER, when clinically appropriate | Urgent care is built for non-emergent illness and injury, and typically costs significantly less than an ER visit for the same issue. |
| Quick questions or after-hours needs | Telehealth | Many plans include virtual visits for minor illness, prescription refills, and behavioral health support. |
| Emergency symptoms | Emergency room or 911 | Call 911 or go to the nearest ER for life-threatening situations — chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding, or stroke symptoms. |
| Behavioral health crisis | The MA Behavioral Health Help Line, a CBHC crisis line, or 911 | See Behavioral Health Resources for a full first-call guide. |
Plymouth County
Hospital systems serving Plymouth County
South Shore Health
South Shore Hospital in Weymouth anchors South Shore Health, which has real, current clinical affiliations with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Boston Children's Hospital — confirmed directly on South Shore Health's own site.
Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital – Plymouth
Formerly Jordan Hospital, BID Plymouth is a 170-bed member of the Beth Israel Lahey Health system, serving Plymouth and the surrounding South Shore area.
Signature Healthcare / Brockton Hospital
Brockton Hospital reopened in August 2024 after a 2023 fire closure. Signature Healthcare has been consolidating its Brockton-area urgent care footprint in 2026 — see the alert below before directing employees to a specific location.
Bristol County
Hospital systems serving Bristol County
Southcoast Health
Southcoast Health operates three hospitals across Bristol County and the South Coast: Charlton Memorial Hospital (Fall River), St. Luke's Hospital (New Bedford), and Tobey Hospital (Wareham).
Sturdy Health
Sturdy Health (Sturdy Memorial Hospital, Attleboro) partners with Brigham and Women's on the Brigham and Women's/Sturdy Health Radiation Oncology Center (89 Forbes Boulevard, Mansfield), and operates alongside the Manet Community Health Center (8 North Main Street, Attleboro).
Also relevant to Bristol County employers: Saint Anne's Hospital (Fall River) and Morton Hospital (Taunton) transitioned out of Steward Health Care on October 1, 2024, and now belong to Brown University Health — see our Network Disruption Guide for full detail on this and other recent ownership changes.
Employer Takeaway
Help your employees make the right call, the first time
Sharing a simple "where to go" guide with your team can reduce unnecessary ER visits, speed up care, and lower costs for everyone — and always verify network status before scheduling, since provider contracts and facility ownership in this region have changed more than once recently.