Massachusetts is now allowing everyone in Phase 1 to receive their COVID-19 vaccine. For hospitals, that means they can now give shots to everyone on staff.

At UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Dr. Andrew Karson, the chief medical officer, believes the vaccine is resulting in a reduction of cases among employees.

Taming a ranging pandemic that has already claimed the lives of more than 400,000 Americans lies heavily in the rollout of the long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine — a process that has been slow and arduous since the emergency approval of such jabs in the U.S.

UMass Memorial Health Care President and CEO Dr. Eric Dickson has been named the new chair of the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association, the Boston hospital advocacy nonprofit announced Friday.

The DCU center, a convention center complex in Worcester, Massachusetts, is converted into a Covid-19 field hospital to take in non-emergency and an overflow of coronavirus patients. The facility has admitted 365 Covid patients in the past five weeks.

Leominster-based Montachusett Home Care Corporation (MHCC) is pleased to announce that the inaugural launch of the Cards for Caring initiative saw more than 700 holiday cards donated to older adults living in isolation during the holiday season.

This widely successful campaign was done in collaboration with Congresswoman Lori Trahan and Congressman Jim McGovern.

Dr. Eric Dickson, CEO of UMass Memorial Health Care, on how the DCU field hospital is filling up with Covid patients, and the status of Covid vaccinations (1:12:51)

UMass Memorial Health Care has posted a $15 million operating surplus for 2020, crediting federal funding and caregivers with reversing two straight years of operating losses.

“We are extremely grateful to our 14,000 caregivers who have spent the past 10 months inside our hospitals, community practices, and out in the community helping the people in central Massachusetts fight a global pandemic,” a statement from UMass Memorial Health Care President and CEO Dr. Eric Dickson and Chief Financial Officer Sergio Melgar said Tuesday.

Healthcare workers are no strangers to skipping traditions with family to work a holiday. In 2020, it’s a different experience, especially for those working on COVID-19 floors in hospitals.

“It’s pretty tough in here today,” nurse Shannon Lora told WBZ over Zoom from the CCU at HealthAlliance Hospital in Leominster.

“It’s a horrible day here actually. We have a lot of very sick patients. We have a couple of people dying. It has not been a very good day.”

Hospital beds in Massachusetts are filling up fast amid a surge in coronavirus cases, and if the number of cases continues to rise, they may soon be full.

On Monday, Gov. Charlie Baker said the state's health care system is under immense pressure, as the seven day average of COVID-19 hospitalizations has more than doubled within the last month.

The number of hospital beds that are currently available statewide is much lower than it was during the first COVID-19 surge in the late spring.