Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | April 21, 2025 | Worcester Business Journal 15 HEALTH CARE F O C U S & LIFE SCIENCE S IMAGE | ADOBE STOCK.COM Fewer babies MetroWest Medical Center plans to close an intensive care unit for newborns in June, as the number of patients declines BY MICA KANNER-MASCOLO WBJ Staff Writer F ramingham Union Hospital will close one of its neona- tal intensive care units for newborns with critical health needs on June 10 as the hospital's operator, MetroWest Medical Center, cites declining utilization and staff retention difficulties. Framingham Union will shut down its 12-bassinet Level II NICU Service (also referred to as its Special Care Level IIB Nursery), according to a March 12 letter sent to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health by John Whitlock, CEO of MetroWest Medical Center. e hospital's Level II unit provides advanced neonatal treatment for babies born with special healthcare needs, including prematurity, respiratory prob- lems, congenital disorders, and infec- tions, according to MetroWest's website. Framingham Union will continue to operate its 32-bassinet Level 1A Well Infant Nursery, according to a separate Feb. 26 letter sent from Whitlock. A Level 1 nursery provides a basic level of care to neonates who are low risk, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics's website. "Please note that Framingham Union has experienced declining utilization rates for the service. Additionally, Fram- ingham Union has experienced signif- icant difficulty recruiting and retaining neonatologists and neonatal nurses, which is consistent with statewide work- force shortages," Whitlock wrote in his March 12 letter. Framingham Union's low-patient occupancy has negatively affected the hospital's ability to provide high-quality care, Whitlock wrote. "Specialized neonatal respiratory ther- apists and Level IIB Special Care Nurs- ery-trained nurses require ongoing expo- sure to critically ill newborns to retain their skills. Due to the low volume of admissions, main- taining staff com- petency in pro- viding high-acuity neonatal care has been challenging. For these reasons, maintaining a fully staffed service with appropriate specialized neonatal care is financially and operationally unsustain- able," wrote Whitlock. Framingham Union's decision to close the neonatal unit comes less than two years aer UMass Memorial Health closed the Leominster maternity ward at HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital, due to decreased patient use. e hospital will cease accepting patients to the unit on May 9. Upon the unit's closure, patients in need of Level II services will be referred to an appropri- ate hospital. "Framingham Union also is commit- ted to working closely with families and referring providers to achieve seamless care transitions," said Whitlock. MetroWest Medical Center reported low-bed occupancy over the past three fiscal years in the letter with the average number of patients in the unit per day ranging from fewer than one per day to 1.2 per day. In fiscal 2022, the unit had 75 admissions; in fiscal 2023, it had 68 admissions; and in fiscal 2024, it had 49 admissions. e hospital understands the unit's closure will have an impact on patients, Whitlock wrote. "Framingham Union recognizes that closing the service will have an impact on patients and families, as they no lon- ger will have access to a Level IIB Special Care Nursery onsite," said Whitlock. He said Framingham Union had con- firmed the hospital's surrounding Level IIB units have the capacity to care for patients who will no longer be able to access the hospital's care, though these care centers range from 12 to 23 miles away from Framingham Union, includ- ing locations in Newton, Worcester, and Boston. Community leaders and advocates have raised red flags regarding the impact of the unit's closure, including stating these neighboring hospitals are not a viable option for patients and families in urgent need of care. "e nurses of Framingham Union Hospital are vehemently opposed to the closure of this vital service for vul- nerable mothers and newborns in our community. We serve a population of high risk moms who need this level of care, and with the loss of this service, these folks will be forced to travel to Worcester or Boston for care they have always received here in this communi- ty," nurse Ginny Ford said in an April 4 press release from the Massachusetts Nurses Association labor union. "We see this as yet another attempt by Tenet to erode needed care and services to this community." Others fear the closure will result in lower delivery numbers, proving an ex- cuse for future service discontinuation. "We are concerned that discontinu- ing the specialized maternity services may deter women from seeking ma- ternity care at all from MWMC. is could have a cascading effect on overall maternity services and would even- tually lead to lower delivery numbers that MWMC could then claim that any maternity services could no longer be justified," Framingham Mayor Charlie Sisitsky said in the MNA release. John Whitlock, CEO of MetroWest Medical Center Framingham Union Hospital is part of the two-hospital campus of MetroWest Medical Center, which also includes Leonard Morse Hospital in Natick. PHOTO | WBJ FILE W

• Cover