NEWSROOM

As a result of a surge in new COVID-19 cases in Worcester, UMass Memorial Health is increasing the number of days it will provide free testing at the Mercantile Center in Worcester.

Every morning in the Minneapolis metropolitan area, 200 to 400 people wait in an emergency room for a bed to come open.

“That’s the highest number ever,” said Dr. J. Kevin Croston, the CEO of North Memorial Health, which operates more than two dozen health care facilities in the area.

Gov. Charlie Baker announced Tuesday he is activating up to 500 members of the National Guard to assist hospitals with the COVID-19 surge and updating the state's mask advisory.

WORCESTER, Mass. - The number of people getting tested for COVID-19 at the Mercantile Center is rising.

There were more long lines outside of the testing center Monday.

Amid surging COVID-19 infections, overflowing hospitals, and exhausted healthcare workers, Massachusetts hospital leaders are hanging on a glimmer of hope: some treatments, vaccines, and hard-won knowledge from the earlier outbreaks have meant fewer severely ill COVID patients.

Since November, hospitals have understaffing, an escalation of behavioral health cases, and a worsening of a variety of diseases from over a year of delayed care.

Understanding the perspectives of both patients and doctors can be a hard road to navigate, but Hsieh believes active listening is key.

The COVID pandemic took a drastic toll on an already struggling and underfunded behavioral healthcare system. In the wake of lockdowns, a greater need for psychiatric help is often met with endless waiting lists and bed shortages.

Hospital and health system CFOs have navigated many changes and challenges in the industry in 2021, including staffing shortages and rising inflation.

Lots of attention has been paid to Massachusetts’ unprecedented spending, made possible by once-in-a-lifetime federal largesse to pay for COVID-19-related needs. Behind the scenes, Massachusetts has also been saving.

FITCHBURG — Rollstone Bank & Trust announced Friday a donation of $50,000 to the UMass Memorial Health’s HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital to expand local complementary care resources to cancer patients, according to a press release from the bank.

When Eleni Nicolau became sick with COVID after Thanksgiving, a breakthrough infection that hit the 83-year-old hard, she found herself alone in a hospital room, separated from her family and struggling to breathe.