Months after Heywood Healthcare, one of the few Central Massachusetts independent community healthcare systems, entered formal non-binding discussions to affiliate with UMass Memorial Health of Worcester, the merger has been called off.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded $4.7 million to Worceste healthcare provider UMass Memorial Health for costs of testing, new equipment, and new staff due to COVID-19.
FEMA has awarded UMass Memorial Health three grants totalling almost $23 million to reimburse the organization for costs incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.
UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester received approval on Wednesday from the Commonwealth’s Public Health Council to add 91 inpatient beds between its University campus and Memorial campus.
The troubles, though, date back to 2019, even before the COVID pandemic, when the Association of American Medical Colleges reported hospitals in the country were understaffed by as many as 20,000 doctors.
Worcester healthcare providers UMass Memorial Health and Reliant Medical Group, along with insurer Fallon Health, have been selected to four of the 17 MassHealth accountable care organizations.
The Massachusetts Nurses Association union has ratified new contracts for 2,770 of its nurses at Worcester-based UMass Memorial Health's facilities in the past four months.