Health Care

Coronavirus cases have taken an encouraging downward dip in the past week, including in Worcester County and the city of Worcester, but that relatively promising sign was tempered by a more contagious variant found this week in a person who was tested at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester.

More health care workers, including those who work with patients in their homes, are eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines as of Thursday, Gov. Charlie Baker announced, opening up eligibility to the full suite of priority groups included in the first phase of his three-fold vaccine distribution plan.

Holliston biotechnology company Biostage, Inc. announced last week it had cut its third quarter losses through reductions in research and development and administrative expenses.

Open Sky Community Services, a Worcester human services nonprofit, will open a family support center in Whitinsville in February to serve children and adults with intellectual disabilities or autism and their families.

As the pool of people eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19 swells, Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel can now tap into the network of students in Massachusetts training to be pharmacists or physician assistants to deliver the shots.

Massachusetts residents have consistently high out-of-pocket healthcare costs, with nearly 10% of income earned by families in cities like Worcester going toward health care, according to a new report by the state's Health Policy Commission.

A new report by an industry research firm has placed the Worcester area among the worst nationally for intensive care hospital beds per capita, at a time when as many beds as possible are needed for the coronavirus pandemic.

IC Federal Credit Union in Fitchburg has named Chris Hendry, former senior director of external affairs for UMass Memorial Health Alliance-Clinton, as its new president and CEO, the credit union’s board of directors announced Tuesday.

It was expected to arrive eventually and may have already been here, but state public health officials on Sunday afternoon confirmed the first case of the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7 that was initially discovered in the United Kingdom.

Worcester County didn't surpass 4,000 weekly new coronavirus cases until early December. A month later, it's now exceeded 4,700.