Isabel Tehan

Days after Girls Inc. of Worcester suspended its programs and put its CEO and COO on leave, an online petition calling for the permanent removal of leadership was released alleging discriminatory treatment of employees.

Venture Forum in Worcester and the North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation in Fitchburg were chosen by the Innovation Institute at the MassTech Collaborative to receive two of its grants to bolster the regional startup economy.

The Leapfrog Group, a Washington D.C. based healthcare watchdog nonprofit, has released its biannual Hospital Safety Grade scores, giving one Central Massachusetts hospital an A rating while another received the second-lowest D rating.

Recovery Centers of America at Westminster has named Amanda Pitts as its new CEO.

The City of Worcester’s $848-million budget for the coming fiscal year is delivering on promises to give more resources and funding to the Executive Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, with a 67% increase in the financial allotment given to the office.

Marlborough-based Akoya Biosciences posted a 26.6% increase in quarterly revenue in the first quarter compared to the same period last year, at $21.4 million.

The business confidence index ticked lower for the second month in a row among businesses in Central Massachusetts, falling 1.4 points to a score of 50.3, nearing pessimistic territory on the region’s economy.

The CEO and chief operating officer of Girls Inc. of Worcester have been placed on administrative leave amid the suspension of all programming at the nonprofit, the organization announced Friday.

As the public health emergency declaration in Massachusetts is set to end on May 11, UMass Memorial Health in Worcester is poised to update its masking policy, which will make masking optional in most settings throughout the healthcare system.

Anna Maria College in Paxton will receive $1 million in federal funding for its nursing programs and to upgrade its clinical simulation lab.