Saint Vincent Hospital

The Leapfrog Group has released its bi-annual Hospital Safety Guide scores, giving three Central Massachusetts hospitals A ratings for their dedication to patient safety.

State Representative David LeBoeuf, who represents the 17th Worcester District, called for an emergency hearing on Saint Vincent Hospital’s bed closure in a letter addressed to Marylou Sudders, secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services.

As the strike at Saint Vincent remains high profile, and public favor for labor unions reaches new highs, experts and labor groups say they expect to see an increase in labor action in and around the region.

The striking Saint Vincent Hospital nurses in Worcester will have their unemployment benefits fully discontinued effective the week ending Aug. 7 due to a final decision from the Massachusetts Department of Uninsurance Assistance, according to the hospital and the Massachusetts Nurses Association.

In a Tweet on Friday afternoon, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker told Saint Vincent Hospital and the Massachusetts Nurses Association union to end the strike ongoing at the Worcester healthcare facility since March 8.

UMass Memorial Health in Worcester said on Thursday it has no available intensive care unit beds throughout its entire system due to increased patient volume and staffing shortages, said UMass Memorial spokesman Anthony Berry.

The president of Saint Vincent Hospital medical staff, Dr. Bogdan Nedelescu, signed an open letter Wednesday on behalf of the hospital staff urging striking nurses to come back to work as the number of COVID-19 patients surges.

The members of the Massachusetts Nurses Association union who have been striking at Saint Vincent Hospital since March will lose their unemployment benefits, at least temporarily, with the hospital demanding the workers repay all payments received since Aug. 2

In a Tuesday press release, Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester said it guarantees a job to all striking nurses who want one, while retaining all the replacement nurses hired earlier this month.

Burnout is nothing new in the healthcare field, but a mental health crisis among healthcare workers may be leading to startling staffing shortages as a third wave of the coronavirus pandemic threatens to overburden hospitals again.