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Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Health
- Boston Globe
Patient deaths, government investigations and a new lawsuit. What's happening at Saint Vincent Hospital?
Advertisement Yet, at the time of the podcast, what LeBlanc didn't know was that an investigation by federal and state health care agencies had essentially confirmed that staff shortages were seriously affecting the quality of care. Now, LeBlanc has filed a whistleblower lawsuit against Saint Vincent in Worcester Superior Court, alleging she was wrongfully fired for speaking out. And, she cited the government investigations in her lawsuit to bolster her contentions about conditions at the hospital. Just days before LeBlanc appeared on the podcast, the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services notified the hospital that inadequate nurse staffing was putting patients at serious risk of harm. The federal agency found lapses in care affected five patients, three of whom died, according to public records. 'Tenet had a choice at that time with Carla,' said Marlena Pellegrino, a Massachusetts Nurses Association representative and nurse at Saint Vincent for more than 30 years. 'They made the wrong choice. They made a really bad choice. They showed exactly who they are.' Advertisement The hospital and its parent company declined to comment. The lawsuit is but one of a number of battles over staffing that nurses at Saint Vincent have been waging with hospital management and the corporate owner, Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare. Eight other nurses alleged staffing levels were dangerously low in a similar whistleblower suit against Saint Vincent and Tenet in early 2024. That case is still pending. And, in 2021, the hospital was the target of In 2021, Saint Vincent Hospital was the target of the longest nurses strike in state history. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Saint Vincent had 333 beds and reported 15,151 inpatient discharges and $417.5 million in operating revenue in fiscal 2023, The Massachusetts Nurses Association, which represents about 600 nurses at Saint Vincent, estimates there are about 160 nurse vacancies at the hospital. In December, the union filed its sixth complaint with state and federal officials, A hospital spokesman at the time denied those claims and called them a 'false narrative.' Massachusetts health officials launched an investigation in January, selecting a sample of 21 patients. Investigators interviewed staff and reviewed medical records going back several months. Investigators found that in September, a patient did not receive potentially life-sustaining continuous dialysis treatment her doctor had ordered. The patient, who was intubated, sedated, and critically ill in the ICU, eventually received a different type of dialysis treatment, but it had to be stopped while nurses responded to an emergency, and the patient later died. Doctors and nurses said they were unable to administer the continuous dialysis treatment because not enough nurses were working that night, according to federal records. Advertisement Another death occurred in October, according to records. Investigators found the heart rate and rhythm of a 91-year-old woman was not monitored, as ordered, during a transfer between the emergency department and the telemetry unit, where patients are continuously monitored for vital signs. The woman, who was under do-not-resuscitate or intubate orders, experienced decreased respirations and a low heart rate for an unknown period of time because of the lack of monitoring. She died within hours of the transfer. In an incident in December, investigators found that a very sick patient's heart rate and rhythm were not continuously monitored by staff as ordered because not enough nurses were working. The patient, an 84-year-old Charlton resident, was later discovered to have a heart rate under 40 beats per minute — far below the normal range of 60 to 100 — and his blood pressure was too low to be recorded. He died about two hours later. Weeks later, records show, another patient was not monitored as ordered and was later discovered to have low oxygen levels and a heart rate of about 150 beats per minute. The investigators tied this incident to understaffing as well. Also in December, according to investigators, a patient suffered bedsores because too few nurses were working to reposition bedridden patients and check them for wounds in a timely manner. Advertisement A sign advertising career opportunities at Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester late last year. Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff Such injuries shouldn't occur in an adequately staffed hospital, health care experts say. Studies support the link between staffing levels and the frequency of bedsores in hospitals. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services notified the hospital on Feb. 4 the deficiencies in staffing and care had led to a finding of 'immediate jeopardy,' a designation reserved for situations that put patients at risk of serious injury or death. Such a finding puts a facility on track to lose Medicare and Medicaid funding unless the deficiencies are quickly addressed. At Saint Vincent, Medicare and Medicaid account for almost 70 percent of revenue from patient services, The threat of losing those funds was removed Feb. 12, when the state approved the hospital's detailed report of the changes it had made and planned to make. At the same time, Saint Vincent underwent a leadership shakeup: both chief executive Carolyn Jackson and chief nursing officer Denise Kvapil In unannounced follow-up visit in March, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health found the deficiencies had been corrected, according to the records. But nurses say they haven't seen meaningful change. In a new complaint filed in May, the union alleged that low staffing levels resulted in delayed care, patients not being monitored as required, and falls that were preventable. The complaint listed multiple heart monitoring issues and occasions in which bonuses were not offered as promised by the hospital to incentivize nurses to take extra shifts, among other allegations. DPH surveyors returned to the hospital for another investigation in June, which a DPH spokesperson confirmed is ongoing. The spokesperson said the investigation began after DPH received a complaint, but declined to comment further. Advertisement LeBlanc also declined to comment, citing the pending litigation. She remains a regional director at the nurses' union and works at another hospital, which she declined to disclose, according to the union. A view of Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester. Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff Stella Tannenbaum can be reached at
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Springfield hospital nurses ratify 3-year deal
SPRINGFIELD — Mercy Medical Center registered nurses represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association ratified a new contract they say will aid in retention and staffing. The deal, announced Monday by the union, included a 5% raise in the first year, followed by 3.25% increases in years two and three. There is also a redesigned wage scale that shortens the time to the top step from 35 years to 21 years, while increasing the number of wage steps from 15 to 18. Top of scale pay will rise from $61.12 to $71.49 by the end of the agreement. The hospital also agreed to longevity bonuses of $2,000 for nurses with 30 years of service and $3,000 for those with 35 years. The contract also has increased pay differentials, that include increases in on-call and overnight pay to $10 an hour. The contract has competitive wages and working conditions that will retain nurses and aid in recruiting, union spokesman Joe Markman said. There are 385 nurses in the Mercy bargaining unit. And they'd complained of 6,000 missed meal breaks in just 10 months because of short staffing, and violations of intensive care unit staffing laws that placed patients at risk. Nurses also called attention to the erosion of maternity care and emergency services linked to corporate cost-cutting. 'This agreement sends a clear message about the importance of Trinity Health investing in Mercy nurses and the future of our hospital,' said Dee Doyle, co-chair of the MNA bargaining committee. The new contract follows 10 months of negotiations and 25 bargaining sessions. The agreement takes effect immediately and will run through 2028. Mercy, in a statement, said it is glad to move forward. 'At Mercy Medical Center, we are grateful to our nurses, and all colleagues, who work together to provide a safe, high quality care environment for our patients,' the hospital said in a statement. 'This contract, which provides fair and sustainable compensation for our nurses, is the positive result of realistic discussions aimed at meeting their needs, as well as the needs of our organization.' Stories by Jim Kinney Actor, advocate, author Ed Begley Jr. to speak about his 'wild man' days at Springfield event In West Springfield, 33 Westfield St. building is sold for $827K Hasbro's tariff response? In part it is to increase toy production in this WMass town Read the original article on MassLive. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Holy Family Hospital Healthcare Professionals Vote Overwhelmingly to Unionize with MNA to Ensure Excellent Patient Care and Secure Professional Respect
76 healthcare professionals have joined the Massachusetts Nurses Association to gain a real voice in decisions impacting patient care and working conditions METHUEN Mass. and HAVERHILL, Mass., June 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The healthcare professionals of Holy Family Hospital have voted to form a union and join the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), the largest union of nurses and healthcare professionals in the state. The group of 76 professionals – including respiratory therapists, social workers, physical therapists, and others – won their election with about 90% support in a vote on Wednesday, June 11. Healthcare professionals from both the Methuen and Haverhill campuses participated in the election, which was conducted in-person under the supervision of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The decisive victory by the Holy Family healthcare professionals reflects their unity and determination to advocate for better conditions for their patients and themselves. "We are united in our mission to provide exceptional care to our communities," said Dave Matthews, a Holy Family physical therapist and member of the organizing committee. "Forming our union means we will finally have an equal seat at the table to make decisions that impact the quality of care we provide every day." "We know the best patient outcomes happen when healthcare professionals are empowered to advocate for improved working conditions," said Sandy Mansur, a Holy Family social worker and member of the organizing committee. "By unionizing, we are standing up for our patients, our colleagues, and the future of healthcare at Holy Family Hospital." Holy Family MNA Co-Chair and RN Karen Powers said in support, "We welcome the healthcare professionals to the MNA and support them getting their first contract. They are an extraordinary part of the care community at Holy Family!" Following the election, Holy Family healthcare professionals will vote for their local elected leaders and bargaining committee, work together to develop contract proposals, and begin negotiations for their first MNA contract. The MNA represents more than 26,000 nurses and healthcare professionals across Massachusetts, including workers at more than 70% of the Commonwealth's acute care hospitals. The organization is governed by a board of nurses and healthcare professionals elected by the membership. │ │ │ Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 26,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Guardian
16-04-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Six Massachusetts hospital workers on same floor report getting brain tumors
The number of staff members who have developed brain tumors while working on the same floor of a Boston-area hospital has increased to at least six, according to the facility's leadership. A recent statement attributed to the president of Mass General Brigham's Newton-Wellesley hospital, Ellen Moloney, said the newly reported tumor was benign, as were five previously documented ones. The statement maintained that investigators had not turned up any evidence of environmental risks at the hospital, though their work remained ongoing. Nonetheless, even before the number of staffers with tumors jumped, a labor union representing nurses at the hospital had pledged to press for answers. That pledge came after Newton-Wellesley hospital's leadership initially confirmed that five nurses had reported developing non-cancerous growths in their brains after having worked on the facility's fifth-floor maternity unit at some point. The sixth case – described as having been reported by a staffer rather than a nurse – was disclosed in the statement from Moloney, which the news website first reported on. An additional half-dozen staff members with experience working on the floor in question reported other health concerns that did not involve brain tumors, Newton-Wellesley officials have said. The hospital has repeatedly suggested there is no evidence to establish that the situation is anything more than a coincidence – albeit one which was unusual enough to have captured attention on the national news and social media after word about it spread. Moloney alluded to how the hospital had worked internal and governmental occupational offices while also consulting with outside environmental experts. Testing since then has examined the hospital's water, radiation levels, air quality and other factors, according to a 2 April memo from the facility. 'Based on the results of this rigorous ongoing investigation, we can assure you that no environmental risks have been identified at our hospital,' Moloney's more recent statement said. The Massachusetts Nurses Association has said it is conducting its own investigation, despite the hospital's assurances. The union argued that 'the hospital only spoke to a small number of nurses' and that the 'environmental testing was not comprehensive'. Sign up to Headlines US Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion The union told NBC10 Boston that it received more than 300 survey responses, emails, and telephone calls from nurses and other professionals working at the hospital – as well as from former employees. Union officials reportedly said: 'It will take several weeks to sort through the information … vet it and obtain follow-up, including medical records, if respondents are willing to provide them.' They also said: 'The hospital cannot make this issue go away by attempting to provide a predetermined conclusion.' Moloney's statement, for its part, alluded to 'a great deal of misinformation shared on social media and in other forums'. 'Health, wellbeing, and safety – along with that of our employees – remain our top priority,' Moloney's statement said. 'We want to make sure you have the facts.'
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Investigating claim 10 'vaccinated' nurses at Massachusetts hospital were diagnosed with brain tumors 'simultaneously'
Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton, Massachusetts, said in a statement that as of April 1, 2025, five staff who had worked on the hospital's fifth floor were diagnosed with brain tumors. The diagnoses spanned three different kinds of tumors, all noncancerous. The confirmation came after reports circulated that around 10 nurses from the hospital's fifth floor maternity unit were diagnosed with brain tumors. A widely shared online article linked the tumors to the nurses being vaccinated against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Newton-Wellesley Hospital dismissed this claim, citing "government research" that COVID vaccines "are not associated with brain tumors." Some of the diagnoses predated the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines, the hospital added. The hospital carried out an investigation following the diagnoses and found "no environmental risks which could be linked to the development of a brain tumor." The Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), a union and professional association for nurses in the state, disputed these findings and said it was carrying out its own investigation, which was ongoing at the time of this writing. In late March and early April 2025, a rumor circulated online that 10 "vaccinated" nurses working at the same Massachusetts hospital were diagnosed with brain tumors "simultaneously." For example, one X user, whose March 30 post had amassed more than 257,000 views as of this writing (archived), wrote: "At Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Massachusetts, a startling cluster of brain tumor diagnoses has emerged among vaccinated nurses on the fifth-floor maternal care ward. 10 longtime staff members have been affected simultaneously, sparking alarm and raising questions about a potential link between mRNA vaccines and cancer." The X post also included a screenshot of a March 29 article by a website called The People's Voice (TPV), which has repeatedly spread misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines. The article's headline read: "10 Vaxxed Nurses at Massachusetts Hospital Diagnosed with Brain Tumors Simultaneously." Although neither the X post nor the TPV article specifically stated that the 10 nurses had been vaccinated against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, such claims about mRNA vaccines often refer to the COVID-19 vaccines, which TPV has written numerous false or misleading articles about. Examples of the rumor appeared on Facebook (archived), Instagram (archived), TikTok (archived) and Bluesky (archived). Additionally, some X posts (archived) added the claim that the nurses had all received COVID-19 vaccines. Snopes readers also emailed to ask us to check the claim. Newton-Wellesley Hospital (NWH) confirmed via email that five staff members who had worked on the hospital's fifth floor were diagnosed with noncancerous brain tumors. The hospital did not specify whether all five staff members were nurses. Following the diagnoses, the hospital said it had carried out an investigation into environmental risks and found none that "could be linked to the development of a brain tumor." NWH also dismissed claims that the workers' vaccine statuses were linked to their brain tumor diagnoses, saying some diagnoses predated the COVID pandemic. A local union for nurses in Massachusetts disputed the hospital's investigation and was carrying out its own at the time of this writing. Though elements of the claim were true — for example, that staff at one Massachusetts hospital were diagnosed with brain tumors — other elements, such as the connection to vaccines, were not. According to a statement sent via email, officials at NWH in Newton, Massachusetts, carried out an investigation following reports that "as many as 10 nurses" who worked on the fifth floor maternity unit were diagnosed with brain tumors. According to a Q&A document published by NWH on April 2, the hospital interviewed 11 staff who worked on the floor. Five of the staff were found to have benign (noncancerous) brain tumors, while the remaining six had "other health concerns." That investigation found "no environmental risks which could be linked to the development of a brain tumor" on the hospital's fifth floor, according to NWH. "Environmental risks" in this case were factors or conditions in the workplace that could cause harm to employees' health and safety. However, the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), a union and professional association for nurses in the state, disputed the NWH investigation's findings, claiming in a statement sent via email that the hospital's testing was "not comprehensive." Instead, the union said it would carry out its own investigation into the cause of the diagnoses. The investigation was ongoing at the time of this writing. The March 29 TPV article claimed that the diagnoses raised concerns about "a potential link between mRNA vaccines and cancer." The article did not specify how the website supposedly knew the vaccination status of the nurses, and the outlet did not elaborate when asked to comment. Speaking about the rumor that the diagnoses were linked to the staff members being vaccinated against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, NWH said via email: Regarding vaccines, NWH has completed a rigorous and comprehensive evaluation and has determined that the hospital environment is safe. The evaluation included testing for radiation as well as air and water testing. The government has collected substantial data about Covid vaccines, and the vaccines are not associated with brain tumors. It's also important to note that some of the 5 diagnoses pre-date the pandemic. We also asked the MNA about the vaccination claim. Joe Markman, the union's associate director of public communications, said: The MNA represents 25,000 nurses in 85 facilities statewide. Almost all of our members were required to take the COVID-19 vaccine, but we are only experiencing this situation on the 5th floor at NWH. It is also worth noting that TPV's article claimed that 10 nurses were diagnosed with brain tumors, while NWH confirmed just five cases, all noncancerous. According to the National Cancer Institute, the U.S. government's principal agency for cancer research, environmental exposures can damage DNA and cause cancer. Such exposures include "chemicals in tobacco smoke, or radiation, such as ultraviolet rays from the sun." The NWH's investigation looked at environmental exposures, including radiation from X-ray machinery and chemotherapy drugs handled at the hospital's fourth floor pharmacy, to assess whether they could have caused the brain tumors. The investigation also considered risks from wearing and reusing personal protective equipment like masks during the COVID-19 pandemic and found "no scientific evidence" linking the wearing of masks to brain tumors. The investigation concluded that there were "no environmental risks which could be linked to the development of a brain tumor" at the hospital, according to a statement sent via email and attributed to Jonathan Sonis, NWH associate chief medical officer and vice president of medical affairs, and Sandy Muse, chief nursing officer and senior vice president of patient care services. The statement from NWH read: Every staff member who came forward was given the opportunity to be interviewed by the Occupational Health and Safety team to evaluate each diagnosis in the context of their individual medical history and risk factors. To evaluate for any possible environmental exposures in that area of the hospital, comprehensive environmental assessments following CDC guidelines began in December. The investigation found no environmental risks which could be linked to the development of a brain tumor. We presented these findings to relevant stakeholder groups, including the staff on the unit and the Massachusetts Nursing Association, and have held forums to meet with clinical and Occupational Health leaders to answer their questions. The hospital provided the MNA with the test results from the investigation, including those of several external environmental firms. The hospital's Q&A document, titled, "Fifth Floor Work Environment FAQs," further detailed the investigation. According to the document: Through 4/1/2025, 11 staff members who have worked at some point and for varying durations on the Fifth Floor have been interviewed by the OHS. 6 cases were determined not to be brain tumors but rather other health concerns. 5 cases were determined to be brain tumors of 3 different types, all of which were benign (noncancerous). The document said no further staff members had approached the hospital's occupational health service with diagnoses they thought could have resulted from working on the fifth floor. The MNA, however, did not accept the results of the NWH investigation. In a statement sent via email, Joe Markman, the union's associate director of public communications, said the hospital was attempting to provide a "predetermined conclusion": The hospital only spoke to a small number of nurses and their environmental testing was not comprehensive. The hospital cannot make this issue go away by attempting to provide a predetermined conclusion. While we currently cannot release specific numbers or other diagnosis information, we are committed to being transparent about our findings when we have finished verifying the information we collect. Completing this step-by-step process is critical to providing the support Newton-Wellesley nurses deserve. The union heard from more than 300 current NWH nurses, former employees and other professional disciplines at NWH for its own investigation, Markman said, and was in the process of sorting through the information it had received. In conclusion, the reasons behind the brain tumor diagnoses among staff at Newton-Wellesley Hospital's fifth floor maternity unit remain unclear. The hospital confirmed five brain tumor diagnoses in staff who worked "at some point and for varying durations" on the floor, with diagnoses dating back to before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. According to the hospital's investigation, there were no "environmental risks" linked to brain tumors present on the floor. Adl-Tabatabai, Sean. "10 Vaxxed Nurses at Massachusetts Hospital Diagnosed with Brain Tumors Simultaneously." The People's Voice, 29 Mar. 2025, Beard, McKenzie. Multiple Nurses Get Brain Tumors in the Same Hospital Unit. 4 Apr. 2025, Born, Beth Germano Emmy award-winning Beth Germano is a general assignment reporter for WBZ-TV News, et al. Nurses at Massachusetts Hospital Concerned about Growing Number of Cancer Cases among Staff - CBS Boston. 2 Apr. 2025, Cancer Clusters | What Is a Cancer Cluster? Accessed 7 Apr. 2025. Cancer-Causing Substances in the Environment - NCI. 18 Mar. 2015, "Cluster of Brain Tumors Discovered Among Nurses Who Worked on the Same Maternity Floor at a Boston Hospital." Accessed 7 Apr. 2025. Kasprak, Alex. 'CDC Said mRNA Jabs Have Caused a "14,000% Increase in Turbo Cancer"?' Snopes, 20 Apr. 2024, ---. 'Did Canadian Government "Admit" 74% of Triple-Vaccinated People Now Have "VAIDS"?' Snopes, 5 Oct. 2023, ---. 'White House Emails Prove Biden "Hid Deadly COVID Jab Risks from Public"?' Snopes, 28 Sept. 2023, Mass General Brigham Newton-Wellesley Hospital . Fifth Floor Work Environment FAQs. Mass General Brigham Newton-Wellesley Hospital , 2 Apr. 2025,
