A "light years" leap in improvement was how one official described the new Emergency Department at UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital.

Phase one of the project was unveiled at an open house ceremony recently.

"This is a huge step forward for our community," said CEO and President Deborah Weymouth of the hospital, which will increase the number of patient beds from 24 to 37. She said the upgrade will address two of the most pressing concerns patients have when visiting the emergency room -- wait times and lack of privacy.

LEOMINSTER -- The area's largest health care provider has come out against the upcoming nursing ballot initiative, saying that it would have catastrophic financial implications that could reverberate throughout local communities.

UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital opposes ballot Question 1, which would set limits on the number of patients assigned to hospital nurses. The initiative would mandate patient to nurse ratios and would require hospitals to pay a $25,000 fine to the government for every additional patient assigned to a nurse.

LEOMINSTER -- Nearly 60 different young children, new mothers, and Alzheimer's patients are about to get a new blanket courtesy of the students and faculty of Samoset Middle School.

The school turned itself into a small blanket factory Friday morning as Samoset's 492 students set to work assembling the 58 blankets that would be donated to local non-profits and human services agencies at the end of the day.

Established last summer, the Leominster Opioid Task Force has held several events and hosts monthly community meetings, with a goal of educating Leominster residents about drug addiction and breaking misconceptions about addiction.

For Jaci Cavaioli and Tara Rivera, the Leominster Opioid Task Force they co-founded is about education — showing the effects of drug addiction, breaking misconceptions about it, and explaining how addiction can affect anyone.

LEOMINSTER -- The road to recovery is one that's neither short nor easy, but Leominster Opioid Task Force co-founder Tara Rivera is living proof that it's a road worth taking.

Having been in long-term recovery for the last 21 years, she first experienced the ordeals many people are currently suffering through before the term "opioid epidemic" had entered the public consciousness.

Rollstone Bank & Trust recently pledged $50,000 to UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital’s Community Campaign. Proceeds will support behavioral health services in the hospital’s emergency department.

Workers Credit Union has made a $100,000 donation for the UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital Emergency Room expansion initiative on the Leominster Campus.

"We can't thank Workers Credit Union enough for this very generous donation. It is heartening that the credit union recognized our goal to provide a state-of-the-art environment for our caregivers to deliver compassionate, quality care to every patient," Deborah Weymouth, president, and CEO of UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital.

Sandra Fischer was only six years old when she realized she wanted to comfort the dying.

Her grandmother had just survived a stroke, but was paralyzed to the point that she could only move her eyes. Despite her young age, Fischer helped to take care of her grandmother. She now refers to this as the beginning of her training.

"I've learned so much. To be a better person, to look at people in a different light, and that someday we will all end up in a position like that," she said.

As hospital staff and local officials gathered Thursday to celebrate the expansion of HealthAlliance Hospital's Emergency Department, there was one phrase most frequently repeated during the speeches: It's about time.

"Since the day I first landed here, I've been waiting for this day," said hospital President and CEO Deborah Weymouth.