Greater Worcester

The fiercely independent Milford hospital long resisted efforts to join with another hospital system, but a $15-million operating loss in fiscal 2023 helped force the board of trustees' hand.

Massachusetts ranks 3rd amongst states with the oldest housing stocks with a median age of 58 years. Only New York and Rhode Island rank higher.

Cries of "shame" echoed in front of the State House as speakers like Rebekah Gewirtz of the National Association of Social Workers deplored how the cuts will mean "more desperately hard times" for residents including "the most vulnerable kids."

The Department of Public Health is working to implement a new classification system into its hospital licensing regulations, which would specify the types of facilities that are suited to treat pregnant patients depending on their risk levels.

More and more patients have turned to walk-in appointments at these clinics for issues such as colds or sprains, where they may have previously either gone to the emergency department or made an appointment with their doctor.

The Senate president has said that she hopes to make the state's 15 community colleges free for all by the fall of 2024, but her goal may be affected by the state's changing fiscal environment.

Webster Five is heading its 156th year of operation with some fresh faces in leadership.

WBJ sat down with Crowley in December to discuss how he got involved with the Worcester Red Sox, what the negotiations with Diamond were like, and what the transaction means for the team’s future in the city. 

Healey signed the tax relief into law on Oct. 4, less than a year after voters approved a new income surtax -- which Healey and legislative Democrats supported -- on high earners designed to generate more revenue for transportation and education investments.

"I think one way the commission can be helpful is to help us promote that tax credit because it's only been on the books for ... really a couple of fiscal years. I don't think people are aware of it as perhaps they can be," Cutler told the Legislative and Budget Subcommittee of the Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities.