WORCESTER—After a long dispute between nurses and Saint Vincent Hospital and Tenet Healthcare, the Department of Public Health [DPH] has dismissed all but one of more than 600 complaints, according to a letter issued by State Rep. James O’Day and Sen. Michael Moore.
At the start of 2022, the St. Vincent Hospital nurses’ strike ended, but nurses continued to allege that patient care conditions had gotten worse, not better. By February of 2024, the Massachusetts Nurses Association had about 70 issues in arbitration and continued to assert that communication between hospital administration and the Massachusetts Nurses Association [MNA] has dwindled.
After visits to the hospital in February from federal agencies, in May, Saint Vincent Hospital nurses issued another statement and call for oversight from federal agencies.
“Not only have things not improved, they have in fact gotten much worse, hard as that may be to believe,” said Mary Sue Howlett, associate director for the MNA, at the time. “That was the trajectory when we last spoke and Tenet has stayed the course.”
After the last round of talks with their parent company, Tenet Healthcare, Tenet agreed to purchase some additional telemetry cardiac monitors to help manage what has been described as a “severe staffing shortage” by multiple sources.
The department reported to the Worcester Guardian that it conducted several onsite investigations to further investigate the complaints received from the MNA, and to date, the Department has issued one statement of deficiency to Saint Vincent Hospital in March 2024.
According to the DPH, the hospital submitted a correction plan that was reviewed and accepted by DPH and CMS, and the department determined the hospital was in compliance with applicable requirements. The remaining complaints submitted by MNA have either been unsubstantiated or are part of an open investigation.
While nearly all of the complaints have been dismissed, the DPH said that it will continue to investigate present and future complaints, and take action as needed.
In a letter issued to colleagues, State Representative James O’Day and Senator Michael Moore stated, “You may have seen the recent report that the Massachusetts Nurses Association has filed additional complaints regarding the care at Saint Vincent Hospital. The filings are the latest salvo in an ongoing dispute with the hospital. All but one of the approximately 600 complaints to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health have been dismissed, and the sole deficiency that was found was quickly corrected.”
Moore and O’Day in this letter reported that during a recent discussion with DPH Commissioner Robbie Goldstein about MNA’s complaints, Goldstein informed them that the department had reviewed the hospital’s records, conducted observations, and interviews. Consequently, the department had sent a letter to the hospital indicating that “based on records reviewed, observations and interviews, the allegation that the hospital failed to provide adequate nurse staffing levels to maintain safe patient care was unsubstantiated. No deficiencies were cited.”
“While we cannot pass any judgment on the validity of the latest complaints, it is important to be aware of Commissioner Goldstein’s remarks,” said the letter. “These are trying times for hospitals, with the uncertainty of the fate of the Steward facilities and a continuing shortage of workers.
“It is unfortunate that the MNA is reiterating its complaints, but we are sure DPH will undoubtedly investigate them and make sure any required corrective actions are taken. Residents of Greater Worcester are lucky to have two hospitals providing quality care to the region. It’s important to support them as they continue to serve us.”
Shawn Middleton, PR manager for Saint Vincent Hospital, told the Guardian, “We are grateful to State Representative James O’Day and Senator Michael Moore for their support of our hospital. We thank them for publicly sharing the comments from Massachusetts Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein, who confirms with them that Saint Vincent Hospital is delivering safe care. Saint Vincent Hospital is proud of its track-record of providing safe, high-quality healthcare. We remain committed to delivering on our mission to care for the Greater Worcester community.”
“Two agencies have already validated the concerns raised by nurses following submission of previous complaints,” Howlett told the Worcester Guardian following the DPH determination. “In March, the Joint Commission, which conducted an investigation into our nurses complaints found the hospital to be “non-compliant with applicable Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services [CMS] Conditions.”
Furthermore, as reported by MassLive, DPH conducted a nurse-prompted investigation and interviewed several nurses, ultimately “citing the hospital for its failure to provide appropriate telemetry boxes, essential devices that are used to monitor patients who have been admitted for serious cardiac conditions.” Howlett explains that: “without proper telemetry monitoring around the clock, patients are not being treated safely.”
Howlett concludes her response by pointing out that a lag between DPH investigations and nurse experiences might account for some of the apparent disparity.
”The agencies do not experience what is happening in real time,” she continued. “Front line staff do, which is why we license them and expect they will put their patients wellbeing first – even when it means risking the wrath of a well-funded employer. The nurses at St V’s have been on the front line of this experience and whether it’s them or any other nurse at any other institution, we would do well to heed their warnings – patients come first. The attitude of …we’ll just get another canary is not a strategy that puts patients first.”
Editor’s note: this article originally included a quote that was incorrectly attributed to Commissioner Goldstein. It has been corrected and updated. Refresh this page for any updates.
Irena Kaci is a poet and writer living in Worcester, MA with her spouse and two children. She moved to Worcester in 2015, almost a decade after graduating from Clark University. She writes for The Pulse, SevenPonds and the Worcester Guardian. Her creative work has appeared in the Worcester Review, Atticus Review and the 45 Journal. She can be reached at irena.kaci@gmail.com
As the Worcester Guardian marks more than half a year of delivering free, independent digital news to our city, our dedication to this mission strengthens. Please consider a tax-deductible donation to support our ongoing commitment to providing hyperlocal news coverage to Worcester.
