Today is Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day. For those who may not know the history of this date, it is a holiday to commemorate the end of slavery in our country. While the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President … Continue reading →

This may be one of the most difficult, painful and important times in the history of our country. On top of dealing with an unprecedented pandemic, we are seeing people across this country speak out, shout out, protest, grieve and … Continue reading →

I and Dr. Michael Collins, Chancellor for UMass Medical School, sent this message out to the UMass Memorial Health Care and UMass Medical School communities about the tragic situation in Minneapolis. Seven minutes. That is how long George Floyd suffered, … Continue reading →

This past week, Gov. Baker and Lt. Gov. Polito released guidelines for reopening the state, which included specific guidance for those of us in health care (see link to the HHS website). While we at UMass Memorial Health Care have … Continue reading →

It’s hard to believe that we have hit the 65th day of our emergency response to the COVID-19 crisis. For more than two months, we at UMass Memorial Health Care and our brothers and sisters in health care have been … Continue reading →

You may have seen in the news this week that hospitals in Massachusetts now are “feeling the wave hitting” of the COVID-19 tsunami that we’ve been expecting. I can confirm that all of our UMass Memorial Health Care hospitals are … Continue reading →

We recently hosted a Virtual Town Hall Meeting to inform our friends of UMass Memorial Health Care – our supporters, legislators, business and community organization leaders, and local media – about our response to this crisis. In this town hall, … Continue reading →

During these uncertain times, I would like to offer the best advice we have about how we can all get through the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. First, the COVID-19 threat is real. Take it seriously. In my more than three decades of … Continue reading →

I know that the daily barrage of news and information about the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) has made a challenging environment for all of us to make decisions on how to respond both at work and at home. I want to … Continue reading →

National Patient Safety Awareness Week is next week (March 8 to 14), which gives health care organizations across the country a reason to celebrate the good work they do all year long to keep patients safe and provide top-quality care. … Continue reading →

In January, we kicked off our recruitment for Team True North – our team that is cycling in the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) this year to benefit the UMass Memorial/Dana-Farber Cancer Care Collaborative. As the team captain for Team True North … Continue reading →

While there are many memorable quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s numerous speeches and writings that we may see on Martin Luther King Day this coming Monday – the day we set aside to honor his legacy – one … Continue reading →

I think most of us go into the health care field because we care about people. But what sometimes happens to clinicians in direct patient care is that we get so involved with the “work” of caring for patients that … Continue reading →

What better way to start the New Year than planning for the next Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) adventure for Team True North, our cycling team that raised $60,000 for the UMass Memorial/Dana-Farber Cancer Care Collaborative through our first-ever PMC ride last … Continue reading →

One of my fondest holiday memories was when I gave my two daughters tickets to see a Taylor Swift concert. They were 9 and 12 years old at the time (now they are 17 and 20), and that’s all they … Continue reading →

Last week, one of our senior physicians told me a patient care story that made me cringe. He had spent 45 minutes filling out a preauthorization form for an insurance company to try to get coverage for a patient’s surgery … Continue reading →

You may have seen the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades that were reported by some media outlets recently. In case you missed it, here is the link. Two of our hospital campuses saw an improvement in their grades (Marlborough and Leominster), … Continue reading →

Thanksgiving is not only a food fest and a time to get together with family and friends, but it also is a time to reflect on the things in life that we are grateful for. I’ve been thinking a lot … Continue reading →

Since we launched the Standards of Respect last year, I’ve heard some leaders and caregivers share some skepticism on our ability as an organization to uphold these standards if we do not hold people accountable for their behaviors. Fair point. … Continue reading →

Our annual UMass Cancer Walk & Run – held on Sunday, September 22 – gives us an opportunity to connect with the community and showcase our commitment to caring for cancer patients in this region. I’ve asked Jonathan Gerber, MD, … Continue reading →