Health Care

Lawmakers appear increasingly likely to make hospital expansions and closures an area of scrutiny this session, fueled in part by the planned shutdown of a Leominster maternity ward that has drawn vociferous criticism.

Worcester Business Journal has opened the registration window for its fifth annual Business of Cannabis forum on July 20 at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester.

Jennifer Cote has served as interim CFO at Holliston-based Harvard Bioscience since January. The life science equipment manufacturer has now moved to make that role permanent, effective immediately, according to a Tuesday press release from the life science developer.

About half a dozen legislators from the greater Leominster area did not mince words during a committee hearing Tuesday, alleging that UMass Memorial Health is putting undue strain on Bay Staters with the closure plans its leaders announced last month.

The global pharmaceutical company has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for commercial cell therapy manufacturing in Devens.

UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester and the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, jail, and house of correction are piloting a new program to study the substance abuse treatment options available to incarcerated populations.

Worcester nonprofit Spectrum Health Systems, which specializes in mental health and substance use treatment, is set to open two new facilities in Westborough in 2024, including a new headquarters.

City of Worcester Mayor Joe Petty is requesting a public hearing on the April closure of several Community Healthlink programs, according to the agenda for Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

The National Science Foundation awarded Worcester Polytechnic Institute Professor Loris Fichera $599,663 to develop robots to treat disease without touching human tissue.

Health inequities experienced by communities of color have an economic burden of $5.9 billion annually, according to a newly released study from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation.