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Care delivery changes reshaping hospital landscape
The splintering of Steward Health Care last year resulted in the transfer of six hospital campuses, the closure of two others, and a reshaping of the state's health care world.
I grew up working in hospitals. I love hospitals. I hate to see them close. The sad fact is, across our country, there are 1,300 critical access hospitals -- there's one in Massachusetts, in Athol -- and a third of those hospitals were projected to close.
Kate Walsh | Health and Human Services Secretary
UMass Memorial chooses site in Groton for planned emergency care facility
UMass Memorial Health has chosen a site for the emergency care facility it says it will build to replace the emergency department at Nashoba Valley Medical Center, shuttered when the hospital closed last August.

'We had to:' UMass Memorial Health President and CEO says changes to healthcare were a 'must' to fight off COVID pandemic
COVID-19 brought on a lot of new challenges for people both in and out of healthcare. Things like mask wearing and social distancing became the norm. But surprising enough, the virus resulted in some positive changes. Changes to healthcare some never even imagined.
Now we use video interpreters all the time. But we also now became much more comfortable delivering care through video. So now, we can have a paramedic go into the home through our mobile integrated health program, do labs, do a physical exam on the patient, put an iv in, deliver fluid, deliver medication.
Dr. Eric Dickson | President and CEO, UMass Memorial Health

Mother Delivers Daughter Early in Ambulance with Help from EMT Who Trained Baby's Firefighter Father
Kayla Alvarez was on the way to the hospital when her daughter Mariah decided to make an early arrival. Kayla Alvarez delivered her second daughter Mariah in an unlikely place thanks to the help of an unlikely friend. The 25-year-old Mass.
"I was shell-shocked:" Southbridge man battling colorectal cancer highlights importance of getting tested
A Central Massachusetts man is sharing his story of battling cancer, saying a screening at a local hospital no doubt saved his life. It comes during colorectal cancer awareness month. A disease, experts say, has seen a scary rise in recent years.
Medway, Franklin Physicians Awarded for Patient Experience
Milford Regional Physician Group (MRPG) has announced that two of its practices have received awards from Massachusetts Health Quality Partners (MHQP) for patient experience in adult primary care.
The stress test facing Massachusetts health care
We all want sustainable and convenient access to primary care, timely emergency care, and reasonably priced health insurance.
Now is the time for providers, payers, and legislators to come together to develop solutions that reduce administrative burdens for providers, increase investments in primary care, and strengthen safety net institutions.
Dr. Eric Dickson | MD, MHCM, FACEP, President and CEO

5 years after COVID pandemic, lessons and sorrow resonate
It's been nearly five years since former Gov. Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency in Massachusetts and COVID-19 upended public health, commerce, education and practically every facet of life.

American Heart Association announces 2025 Heart of Gold Award recipients in Central Massachusetts
The American Heart Association is proud to announce the 2025 recipients of the Heart of Gold Awards, which will be presented at the Central Massachusetts Heart and Stroke Ball on Saturday, March 1, at Mechanics Hall in Worcester.

National Wear Red Day aims to raise awareness for women's heart health
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women and the American Heart Association is working to make sure women know how to keep themselves healthy and prevent the disease as best they can.

When ICE comes to the hospital: AG Campbell reassures health care facilities of their rights to provide care
Amid broader concerns about immigration enforcement in previously protected areas such as hospitals, Attorney General Andrea Campbell has issued new guidance to health care providers in Massachusetts, reassuring them of patient rights to privacy and immigrants’ ability to access care.

‘A brighter future': Cochlear implant helps baby experience world in sound
Technology has created a simple moment between parents and their baby that wasn’t possible for this western Massachusetts family a month ago.