Ayer

Seven of the 11 hospitals in Central Massachusetts had four-year readmissions rates lower than the state average, according to new data released Wednesday from the state Center for Health Information and Analysis.

MetroWest Medical Center matched the most recent state average for how often patients are readmitted, according to new data from the Center for Health Information and Analysis.

Five area hospitals garnered top safety scores in The Leapfrog Group's Spring 2017 Hospital Safety Score rankings.

The merger of Marlborough Savings Bank and North Middlesex Savings Bank was made official on April 1. The two longtime banks first said last July they planned to merge, and earlier this year they unveiled the new name and logo for Main Street Bank.

A new potential health care plan would apply more evenly across employers than the first proposal, but would generate less revenue that the $300 million the administration was counting on.

With court decisions blocking mergers of the nation's top health insurers, it's likely those companies will look to acquire smaller players.

Much work remains, but today's momentum in Worcester is real, and it bodes well for the entire region.

Economic downturns cut into players' disposable income, and the Great Recession caused many Boomers to put off their retirement plans, forcing courses to adapt to changing demands.

Quite simply, the fair share assessment is the wrong solution for taming growth in MassHealth, which now insures almost 2 million residents or 30 percent of the commonwealth's total population.

Cains Foods, a century-old label for mayonnaise, dressings and sauces, has ended production at its 100-worker plant in Ayer, several years after it was bought by an Illinois company.