The latest addition to UMass Memorial Health Marlborough Hospital is something that can be taken – and given – freely.

The Little Free Library by the main entrance will offer a variety of health and wellness books for patients and community members who may not otherwise have access to these materials.

Scott Duessel has worked at UMass Memorial-Marlborough Hospital for nine years. He handles all aspects of sanitation, from waxing down floors and cleaning up spills to wiping windows and making every aspect of the hospital shine.

MARLBOROUGH, MA — Thrive Support & Advocacy, a nonprofit empowering youth and adults with developmental disabilities, today announced that this year's Standing Ovation Award has been presented to UMass Memorial's Marlborough Hospital, a longtime community partner.

The Standing Ovation Awards are a celebratory initiative created to recognize outstanding and supportive stakeholders. Marlborough Hospital is being recognized for working collaboratively with the Thrive community since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

REGION – The Corridor 9/495 Regional Chamber of Commerce announced the winners of its year-end awards earlier this month, recognizing businesses and individual contributors to the area business community.

As some neighboring communities soar ahead of the state average, Marlborough and Hudson are still keeping pace in the ongoing push to vaccinate as many residents as possible against COVID-19, state data shows.

As of June 29, Hudson, Marlborough, Grafton and Shrewsbury all had similar rates, with 69 percent, 67 percent, 66 percent and 71 percent of residents, respectively, being fully vaccinated. In Northborough, Southborough and Westborough the rates were, in order, 87 percent, 84 percent and 87 percent.