Boston-based Mass General Brigham plans to construct three outpatient surgery centers through a $400 million project. The plans have raised a lot of concerns from competitors — including UMass Memorial Health, Wellforce and Shields Health Care Group — which argue the project could take their wealthiest patients, according to The Boston Globe.

BOSTON — We don’t know who he is, his exact age, the circumstances surrounding his infection — but two years ago today, February 1, 2020, a UMass Boston student made history by becoming the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Massachusetts.

We do know that he had just returned from Wuhan, China, believed to be the origin of the original ‘wild type’ coronavirus that came to be known as COVID-19.

In March of 2020, officials locked down portions of the state as COVID-19 began to infiltrate communities. Gyms and bars closed. Restaurants limited service to takeout. Schools went remote.

The restrictions, officials said at the time, would only linger for a few weeks with the potential of a return to normal by the summer.

A boisterous political battle over a proposed expansion by the largest and most expensive hospital system in Massachusetts is spotlighting questions about whether similar expansions by big health systems around the country drive up health care costs.

WORCESTER, Mass. - Through much of December and into January, a surge in COVID-19 cases overwhelmed Massachusetts. Since then, many are questioning the need for a fourth booster shot.

Dr. Robert Klugman, Medical Director of Employee Health Services at UMass Memorial Medical Center, said at this point there is no clear evidence of a fourth shot is beneficial. 

WORCESTER, Mass. - Between now and the end of the month, UMass Memorial Health and the Worcester Red Sox are partnering on a social media campaign to ask for support for hospital caregivers.

UMass Memorial and the WooSox are asking people on social media to use the hashtags #ShareASmile and #UMassMemorialStrength along with a photo or story about UMass caregivers.

WORCESTER — Lines for COVID-19 testing at the Mercantile Center have shrunk considerably from the hours-long waits that residents dealt with at the beginning of the month. 

UMass Memorial Health, which operates the testing site, has recorded a week-over-week decrease in people seeking PCR tests at the facility. According to numbers provided by the health system, 1,986 tests were conducted over three days at the Mercantile Center over three testing days, while 3,197 tests were conducted two weeks ago over three testing days. 

Federal officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated mask guidance this week to suggest Americans choose N95 or KN95s if possible, as respirators better stem the spread of SARS-CoV-2 spread this winter.

Experts have previously confirmed that Omicron spreads at a faster, more effective rate compared to earlier virus variants, and respirators like the N95 provide those in public a boost in subsequent filtration abilities if worn correctly.

As the coronavirus sickens hundreds of health care workers across Massachusetts, some hospitals are in the dark about how many more National Guard members, if any, they should expect to receive in the coming days.