IC Federal Credit Union just recently celebrated their 93rd birthday on October 24, 2021, and, as a happy birthday gift to themselves, they just recently underwent a rebranding process over the summer.
IC Feder Credit Union was founded in 1928 as a member-owned, non-profit institution, chartered to encourage savings by offering a fair return on deposits; in turn used to offer low-cost loans.
Over the years, the mission of IC Federal Credit Union has stayed the same: to improve the well-being of their members by providing innovative products and services while promoting member education and community support through a team of caring, knowledgeable and empowered professionals.
“We want to be there step-by-step with our members and truly partner in the journey,” said Christopher Hendry, President and CEO of IC Federal Credit Union. “We’re not just a transactional organization. If we are not focusing on the member, then it’s very easy for them to go somewhere else.”
IC Federal Credit Union focuses on engaging their members and the life of what they do, and empowering their adventures moving forward, whether virtual or in-person.
Commercially, IC Federal Credit Union assists local businesses and organizations, informing them of their product options such as business lending for new equipment, or purchasing a piece of land and assisting in funding.
For the residential members, this means building a better relationship together and letting them know that IC Federal Credit Union has those products albeit personal or car loans, credit cards, and more.
With their new branding – new logo, new colors, and new focus – IC Federal Credit Union is able to provide support to their members online and in-person, as well as mobile on the go.
“The online and mobile experience should feel the same way we treat members in person,” Hendry stated, “so we’re launching new programs and products in the coming months for our members.”
The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t slowed down IC Federal Credit Union either.
“The interesting part of all of this is that it showed us that a virtual workforce is doable,” said Hendry. “We realized that it does work – either fully remote or hybrid – and gives our team a better balance in life. It’s opened up our minds and we continue to find unique ways to keep the business moving forward.”
Hendry added, “We are excited to continue our part and impact our community to let them know we are there for them and help however we can. We want to be a part of this community and couldn’t do that without the help of the [North Central Massachusetts] Chamber [of Commerce].”
He also mentioned that the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce provides opportunities that IC Federal appreciates and hope that more businesses and organization take advantage of said opportunities.
“The [North Central Massachusetts] Chamber of Commerce brings thought leaders together to see where the region is and should be headed,” said Hendry. “It’s a great opportunity to see your footprint in your own backyard.”
IC Federal Credit Union is fully open to the public to walk-in and no appointment is needed. Find out more about IC Federal Credit Union by visiting their website at https://www.iccreditunion.org/, or visiting in person at one of the branch locations.
With Massachusetts in the midst of another COVID-19 surge, daily confirmed infections have returned to levels not seen since mid-January, before any of the three vaccines were available to the general public.
The Department of Public Health (DPH) reported 5,402 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, and hospitalizations climbed to 1,204, with 252 patients in intensive care units and 144 on ventilators.
The spike in infections arrives as colder temperatures have pushed more people indoors, people gather for the holidays, and as vaccinated and unvaccinated residents return to many of traditional activities they took part in before the pandemic.
The Omicron variant, which has been detected in Massachusetts, adds a new unknown to the equation as Gov. Charlie Baker continues to urge people to get vaccinated, including booster shots, and some officials seek a return to indoor masking where it is not currently required.
On June 25, the seven-day average of new cases was 64.1. It now stands at 3,309, as high as it’s been since late January. The 4.99 percent test positivity rate reported by the DPH is also as high as it’s been since Jan. 23, with 120,207 new tests recorded on Wednesday.
The Baker administration has taken steps to address the overcrowding of hospitals by requiring providers with limited available bed capacity to curtail non-essential procedures. Hospitals have seen a nearly 134 percent increase in COVID-19 admissions over the past month, with 515 patients reported as hospitalized with the virus on Nov. 8. DPH reported 12 new deaths on Wednesday, after reporting 51 deaths Tuesday, and the total confirmed deaths from the pandemic to date stand at 19,163.
More than a third of the patients currently in the hospital with COVID-19, or 417, were fully vaccinated when they became infected, according to DPH. The state reports 4,949,714 residents have been fully vaccinated with either two shots of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or one shot of Johnson & Johnson, or about 70 percent of the total population. Another 1,346,965 booster doses have been administered.
The Joint Committee on COVID-19 and Emergency Preparedness and Management plans a hearing next Thursday to examine the state of the pandemic in Massachusetts.
Confidence in the Massachusetts economy dipped slightly in November among employers, the fourth straight monthly decline recorded by Associated Industries of Massachusetts as fears of COVID-19 and continued supply chain disruptions dimmed corporate views.
One economist said the recent passage of legislation to spend $4 billion in American Rescue Plan Act and state surplus money should give the economy some momentum, but AIM CEO John Regan noted that Gov. Charlie Baker’s decision not to seek a third term will inject some uncertainty into the marketplace.
Employers registered a confidence score of 57.9 on AIM’s monthly business confidence index for November, down half a point from October and from 65.6 in July. The index is based on a survey of 140 employers across Massachusetts, with 50 being a neutral score. Since 1991, the index has gone as high as 68.5 and as low as 33.3.
The November index score is the lowest recorded since March, but is still 8.6 points higher than a year ago. The score has taken a recent tumble as a rise in COVID-19 cases, fueled by the Delta variant and now the arrival of the Omicron variant, have increased anxiety over the pandemic, and employers continue to struggle with supply chain delays and labor shortages.
Michael Goodman, a professor of public policy at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, said the ARPA spending bill on Gov. Baker’s desk and the new federal infrastructure bill “will add momentum to a state economy that slowed to a 2 percent annual growth rate in the third quarter.”
“In addition to boosting growth in the near term, these federal funds will allow Massachusetts to address longstanding and critical challenges including job training, transportation, housing and education,” Goodman said in a statement.
Regan, however, said the unfolding race for governor in 2022 should be watched closely now that Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito have decided not to seek reelection and there will be a new governor 13 months from now.
“Any change in the corner officer on Beacon Hill affects the confidence on Massachusetts employers,” Regan said. “Governor Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito will leave a legacy of disciplined fiscal management and policies that have allowed Massachusetts to remain a pre-eminent center of technology and commerce.”
While employer views of the state’s economy remain optimistic, opinions on the U.S. economy turned pessimistic for the first time since January with a score of 48.8. Employers’ confidence in their own companies was essentially flat at 61.1, and the employment index was the only indicator to rise by three-tenths of a point to 56.2.
A regional confidence score for Central Massachusetts came in below the statewide number at 56.3. AIM intends to add regional indexes for Springfield and the North Shore.
New England power grid operators detailed their forecast for the winter of 2021-22 on Monday, saying they expect to be able to meet the region’s demand for electricity but also describing the issues that make them a bit concerned about reliability should the winter be colder than anticipated. [Screenshot]
Electric grid operators expect to be able to keep the lights on in New England this winter. But having come close to a major problem during a costly cold snap here four years ago and watching the recent struggles of power systems in California and Texas, ISO-New England is also doing more to highlight the risks the region’s power system faces as temperatures drop.
ISO-NE expects that demand among the 14 million electric customers in New England will peak this winter at 19,710 megawatts under average winter weather conditions of 10 degrees and as high as 20,349 MW if average temperatures drop below 5 degrees. The winter demand forecast, which is about 2 percent lower than the forecasted peak demand for last winter, is based on a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration outlook that projects a milder than average New England winter.
Demand peaked last winter at 18,756 MW on Dec. 17, 2020, and the all-time winter peak demand is 22,818 MW, set on Jan. 15, 2004. The highest peak demand on the grid, regardless of time of year, was 28,130 MW on Aug. 2, 2006.
Gordon van Welie, president and CEO of ISO-NE, said the severity of the cold weather is one of three main variables that could put the region in a more precarious position than in previous winters, along with the global availability and price of oil and liquified natural gas deliveries into New England and constraints on natural gas pipeline capacity at times of simultaneous demand from heating customers and electricity generators.
If those risks come to pass and threaten the reliability of power for the region this winter, van Welie said, it could “force the ISO to take emergency actions up to an including controlled power outages.”
“I’m not saying this to cause undue alarm at this early stage. Rather, by identifying and sharing the conditions under which the power system would be most challenged, we hope to prepare the region,” van Welie said during a briefing with New England reporters Monday afternoon. “If a worst-case scenario develops, the ISO, utilities and government officials will need to act quickly to avoid an overall power system collapse. Steps such as asking for conservation of electricity and natural gas usage throughout the cold snap could help minimize or avoid the possibility of more drastic actions.”
If an emergency situation develops this winter, ISO-NE has a handful of options available before it would have to resort to controlled outages, including importing emergency power from neighboring regions, calling on power system reserves, and urging businesses and residents to voluntarily conserve energy.
Four years ago, amid a brutal cold snap, the New England grid came within days of catastrophe. During a frigid stretch between Christmas 2017 and Jan. 9, 2018, regional power generators burned two million barrels of oil — more than twice the amount of oil they burned during all of 2016 — in order to produce sufficient electricity.
The two-week event “nearly pushed the bulk power system to the brink,” ISO-NE said, but the severity of the situation did not come to light until after the fact.
“There were many sleepless nights during that two-week period … because we realized we were getting close to the edge but we didn’t have an effective way to communicate on how close we were and we didn’t want to panic people,” van Welie said Monday. “As luck would have it, we made it through to the following week when the weather broke and the supply chain could catch up with us. But given how close we came to being literally within two days of an energy deficiency within the region, we said never again will we want to communicate that way.”
After that 2017/18 incident, ISO-NE began preparing and publishing an energy adequacy forecast on a rolling 21-day basis with the aim of identifying potential shortfalls with enough time to take corrective actions. The forecast is based on the weather outlook, projected fuel supply inventories and deliveries, expected production from wind and solar resources, and consumer demand expectations.
“We’re going to give people much more time. Time for us actually to go out and ask for conservation days in advance before we actually get into the energy situation and hopefully be able to head it off,” Vice President of System Operations & Market Administration Peter Brandien said.
Brandien mentioned an August 2020 heatwave that hit California and led the grid operator there to order two days of rolling blackouts and the lessons that ISO-NE learned from that. After the operator began load shedding and was public about the tough situation it was in, he said, it was able to secure about 3,000 MW of additional capacity it had not realized was available.
“And then when people really understood the situation, they got a lot better conservation than they had leading into the event,” Brandien said. “So part of what we’re trying to do here is really educate everybody on where we are, give them a heads up and understand that when we do go out for conservation, we’re going out for conservation to try to keep everybody with electricity.”
In February, millions of electric customers in Texas were without power for days after a series of winter storms brought unusually cold and icy weather to the state and basically froze its natural gas-fired power generators. More than 200 people died during the emergency.
During his briefing with reporters Monday, van Welie stressed that “New England is not Texas” but reiterated his concerns about what could happen if LNG and natural gas supplies are limited and seriously cold weather hits.
“Our system is better winterized, meaning the power plants, transmission lines and other equipment needed to produce and deliver electricity can better withstand cold temperatures,” he said. “However, as I noted earlier, we are concerned about the fragile energy supply chain to the region during extreme weather.”
van Welie also touched briefly on the recent setback, possibly fatal, delivered last month to the New England Clean Energy Connect transmission project in Maine, which was intended to connect Canadian hydropower to the New England grid as a way to relieve the pressure of other fuel sources and fulfill part of a 2016 Massachusetts law.
“Closer ties and stronger connection with Quebec is absolutely part of the solution. We just shouldn’t think that it’s going to solve everything for us,” he said, noting that he expects New England to become a “winter-peaking” power system around 2030 as more homes switch to electric heat and electric vehicles become more widespread.
He added, “With regard to this specific project in Maine, I’m disappointed about the outcome there. If it doesn’t go ahead, I think we will find other paths and I think maybe the one thing we can have to do is recognize that you’re going to have to spend more in order to get these transmission lines sited because part of the objection … is people don’t want to see these lines. And so if you bury them then you remove that objection, but of course you then incur a much higher price tag.”
Nationwide economic growth in 2022 might slow a bit from the “surprisingly strong 2021 underlying business conditions,” but state and local governments can still expect steady gains in tax revenues and should be able to continue to focus on building up reserves, the economists at Fitch Ratings said.
The credit rating agency published its 2022 outlook for state and local governments last week, predicting that the economy will not grow quite as fast as it has in 2021, but will “remain strong relative to the pre-pandemic trends, supporting steady gains in personal income, consumer spending and tax revenues” for Massachusetts and other states.
“Economic growth above trend and a significant boost in resources from federal stimulus will keep states and local government finances on a positive path in 2022,” Fitch Senior Director Eric Kim said. “Rising inflation and supply constraints will remain challenges.”
The outlook bodes well for the rest of fiscal year 2022, which ends June 30 and is already outpacing expectations for state tax revenue. It also suggests a positive start to fiscal year 2023, which is about to become a focus of attention on Beacon Hill.
State budget writers and Baker administration officials will huddle Dec. 21 to start mapping out what fiscal year 2023 might look like for state tax collections and spending during the annual consensus revenue hearing. The hearing typically includes testimony and projections from a variety of sources, like the Department of Revenue, Mass. Taxpayers Association, the Center for State Policy Analysis at Tufts and the economic analysts at MassBenchmarks.
Trying to forecast economic conditions and tax collections more than a year in advance is always a challenging and risky enterprise, but lawmakers and the executive branch now have to factor in the implications of a pandemic that waxes and wanes, the fundamental changes to the way people work and spend money, and the impacts of historic levels of federal aid.
The dire predictions that state revenue could be short by as much as $8 billion never came to pass and economic performance has greatly outpaced state expectations, at least as measured by tax receipts. Fiscal year 2021, which began about four months into the pandemic and ended as the economy mostly reopened, instead generated a surplus of about $5 billion for state coffers.
Now five months into fiscal year 2022, the Department of Revenue has collected approximately $13.612 billion from residents, workers and businesses — more than $2 billion more than in the same period of fiscal 2021 and $914 million more than what was expected to have been collected at this point in the budget year.
On top of the growth in tax collections, the federal government has sent approximately $113 billion in aid to Massachusetts state government, businesses and residents in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including $4.8 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funds.
“Enormous federal policy support from the ARPA and widespread, rapid vaccination rollout boosted economic growth in the first half of 2021, and drove strong tax revenue collections,” Fitch said in its 2022 outlook for state and local governments. “While growth slowed in the third quarter, underlying business conditions for state and local governments remain solid. Job growth is picking back up, consumer spending continues to increase well ahead of pre-pandemic levels and household savings are historically high, suggesting ample liquidity.”
That third-quarter slowdown was “surprising,” Fitch said, but was driven by the same factors that remain the key risks for state and local governments going into 2022: supply chain challenges and a renewed COVID-19 surge fueled by a mutated variant of the virus.
“COVID-19 remains influential and unpredictable as transmission rates and hospital caseloads can shift rapidly. This makes the new Omicron variant a potential area of concern as a new pandemic surge could cause another economic setback, complicating governments’ budget outlooks,” Fitch said.
If there are economic or public health setbacks in 2022, Fitch said that states will be able to lean on their remaining pots of federal money to take some pressure off tax collections.
“The largely unspent infusion of federal aid in 2021 provides some fiscal cushion,” the outlook said.
Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairman Michael Rodrigues said last week that about half of Massachusetts’ ARPA money ($2.3 billion) remains in the segregated account the Legislature controls, but that no timeline has been established for taking “another bite at this apple.” ARPA money must be committed by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2026.
The credit rating agency also made clear that it will be watching as state governments put their one-time federal stimulus money to use, calling it “a key topic of 2022 state and local legislative sessions.”
“Sustainable deployment will be important to credit quality,” Fitch said. The firm added, “Rating implications will depend on whether governments can avoid fiscal cliffs — budgets built around non-recurring federal aid should be sustainable once it expires — and whether the aid can make material improvements in economic growth potential, such as through repairing or replacing critical infrastructure or acceleration of pandemic recovery.”
Campaign for Corner Office Wide Open with 11 Months to Go
Gov. Charlie Baker, a two-term Republican who at his peak was one of the most popular governors in the country, will not seek a third term, throwing wide open the 2022 race for the state’s top political office after close to two years of managing through a global pandemic.
Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, who was widely considered to be the heir to the Baker political legacy, has also decided against a run for governor in 2022, dramatically reshaping the contest on the Republican side and, perhaps, clearing a path for Attorney General Maura Healey to enter the race on the Democratic side.
“After several months of discussion with our families, we have decided not to seek re-election in 2022. This was an extremely difficult decision for us. We love the work, and we especially respect and admire the people of this wonderful Commonwealth. Serving as Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts has been the most challenging and fulfilling jobs we’ve ever had. We will forever be grateful to the people of this state for giving us this great honor,” Baker and Polito said in a joint statement.
Baker began telling friends and allies of his decision over the past 24 hours, and informed his Cabinet during a meeting Wednesday morning. The governor and lieutenant governor, in their statement, cited the need to focus on building an economic recovery as Massachusetts emerges from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have a great deal of work to do to put the pandemic behind us, keep our kids in school, and keep our communities and economy moving forward. That work cannot and should not be about politics and the next election. If we were to run, it would be a distraction that would potentially get in the way of many of the things we should be working on for everyone in Massachusetts. We want to focus on recovery, not on the grudge matches political campaigns can devolve into,” Baker and Polito said.
Republican Geoff Diehl, a former state lawmaker, has already entered the race for his party’s nomination with the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, and three Democrats — Harvard professor Danielle Allen, former state Sen. Ben Downing, and Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz — are also running.
Healey, the popular Democratic prosecutor, is also weighing a bid and could be more inclined to enter the fray with Baker out of the running. She has previously said she hoped to make a decision about her political future this fall.
In addition to the polarized political environment, both Baker and Polito said the pandemic helped them realize the importance of taking time for family and friends after the grind of eight years leading the state.
“Done right, these jobs require an extraordinary amount of time and attention, and we love doing them. But we both want to be there with Lauren and Steve and our children for the moments, big and small, that our families will experience going forward,” the pair said.
Recent polling has suggested that Baker could fair well in hypothetical matchups against the Democrats running or thinking about running, but he would also face a potentially bruising Republican primary as his relationship with the base of his party has frayed in the Trump era.
Baker did not support Trump during either of the former president’s runs for the White House, and Baker’s approval ratings are stronger among Democrats and independents than with voters in his own party.
Though it has been suggested in some political circles that Baker could run as an independent in 2022, the governor has brushed that notion aside, professing a belief in his brand of Republicanism molded under his political mentors former Govs. Bill Weld and Paul Cellucci.
“We are determined to continue to put aside the partisan playbook that dominates so much of our political landscape – to form governing partnerships with our colleagues in local government, the Legislature, and the Congressional delegation. That bipartisan approach, where we listen as much as we talk, where we focus our energies on finding areas of agreement and not disagreement, and where we avoid the public sniping and grandstanding that defines much of our political discourse, allows us to make meaningful progress on many important issues,” Baker and Polito said.
Baker would have been the first governor in recent memory to run for three terms. The last governor to serve three four-year terms was Democrat Michael Dukakis, though his terms were non-consecutive.
Stores Flag Inflation, Staffing, Inventories As Challenges
Retail sector sales in Massachusetts typically total about $21.25 billion in November and December, and retailers in the shopping season that is just now gathering momentum are expecting a significant 6 percent increase in sales compared to 2020.
The Retailers Association of Massachusetts (RAM) on Monday released its annual forecast, which marks a stepdown from the 9 percent sales surge in 2020 and trails the National Retail Federation’s projections of an 8.5 to 10.5 percent lift in annual retail sales.
Still, the 6 percent growth rate would be the second largest in the last decade, and is supported by fourth quarter inventories that are up by 4.1 percent over 2020, according to a survey of RAM members.
Retailers listed inflation, inventory delays and staffing shortages as the three top challenges this season, according to the survey, and stores reported that payroll costs for members were up 6.7 percent over 2020.
Holiday sales account for an average of 20 percent of annual retail sales, according to RAM, which says 60 percent of its members this year report they are selling online, compared to 50 percent a year ago and only 29 percent during the 2019 holiday season.
“The acceleration of online offerings and sales by smaller sellers has been apparent during the COVID crisis,” RAM President Jon Hurst said. “Main Street has worked overtime to meet their customers where and how they wanted to be served during these challenging and evolving times.”
While online sales nationally are projected to reach 25 percent of all retail sales, RAM said internet sales are expected to total 5 percent of total holiday sales at smaller Massachusetts retailers.
In a bid to encourage people to spend their holiday budgets locally, Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito are joining RAM officials at a shoe store and a music store in Needham Monday to launch a campaign to urge people to actively consider where they choose to shop.
“Much of the Massachusetts economy relies on all of us doing our part, so we need to shop like jobs depend on it, because they do,” Baker said in a statement. “By choosing local, you’re sustaining jobs in your community.”
The retail sector employs 600,000 people in Massachusetts, according to RAM, which represents 4,000 retailers and restaurants.
A #BuyInMA ad campaign featuring radio and digital ads is being launched Monday and officials are encouraging shoppers to visit BuyInMA.org to learn about promotions and savings from local stores and restaurants.
Hurt said the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the growth of appointment-only shopping and curbside pick-up and delivery, aspects of customer service that he said would “undoubtedly continue to exist long after the health and economic crisis has passed.”
Story by: Michael P. Norton, State House News Service
New congressional districts that drew opposition from some advocates and lawmakers will take effect for the 2022 elections after Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday signed a pair of redistricting bills into law.
Baker’s office announced Monday evening that the Republican governor signed legislation redrawing the state’s nine congressional districts (H 4256) and eight Governor’s Council districts (H 4257), capping the months-long process of redrawing political lines based on population changes and growth reported by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The new district boundaries put Fall River fully in the 4th Congressional District and keep New Bedford in the 9th District. Debate over the fate of the two South Coast cities split elected officials, who offered competing arguments for combining them into a single district and for keeping the region divided across two districts.
Lawmakers approved the congressional map 151-8 in the House and 26-13 in the Senate, with the latter margin raising questions about whether Baker would return the bill with an amendment and about the prospects of Democrats overriding Baker had he vetoed the bill.
No members of the state’s all-Democrat U.S. House delegation will be forced to run against one another under the revised districts featured in the new law.
The congressional and Governor’s Council maps were the final steps in the once-every-decade redistricting process. Baker signed the House and Senate legislative districts into law on Nov. 4.
A strong champion of the region’s economic development efforts, Tessman will work with the Visit North Central Massachusetts board, staff, membership and other stakeholders to champion the organization in its mission to market the region as a destination. He succeeds Al Rose, owner of Red Apple Farm, who moves to the position of Immediate Past Chair.
Tessman began working at Great Wolf Lodge New England in 2014. In addition to managing more than 700 employees, Tessman oversees all operations, including an indoor waterpark, several restaurants and more than 400 guest rooms.
A 35-year veteran of the hospitality industry, he previously served in management positions with various hotel companies, including Marriott, Wyndham, Hilton and boutique properties. He earned a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management from Johnson & Wales University.
In addition to his involvement with Visit North Central Massachusetts, Tessman also serves on the Board of Directors for the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce, Nashoba Valley Chamber of Commerce, Greater Gardner Chamber of Commerce, ARC of Opportunity, and the Mount Wachusett Community College Foundation.
“Henry has proven himself to be a great leader and advocate for our cooperative marketing efforts to grow the visitor economy in North Central Massachusetts,” said Roy Nascimento, president of Visit North Central Massachusetts. “He will lead our organization through the recommendations of the recently published Regional Economic Development Plan as we look for opportunities to expand tourism in North Central Massachusetts.”
“It is an honor and privilege to be elected chair of Visit North Central Massachusetts, an organization with an important role in promoting North Central Massachusetts as a unique destination for individuals and families,” said Tessman. “I look forward to continuing the efforts of our immediate past chair to establish the region as a premier destination for visitors and groups.”
In the same election, Chris Stimpson, public relations manager at Wachusett Mountain, was elected to fill an open seat on the Board.
State officials on Wednesday gave a green light to Heywood Hospital’s nearly $38 million plan to build a new, freestanding surgical pavilion to replace an existing surgical suite that hospital officials said has been largely unchanged since it was built in 1961. The Public Health Council unanimously signed off on Heywood’s determination of need application for the 40,115-square-foot addition that will feature six new, larger operating rooms and 21 pre- and post-procedure rooms. The Department of Public Health’s determination of need program vets proposed hospital expansions, mergers and changes in ownership. A 134-bed community hospital in Gardner, Heywood experienced a 20 percent growth in surgical procedure case volume from 2016 to 2018, according to its application. The expansion will allow more patients to undergo their procedures locally, the application said, reducing the number of referrals to higher-cost care sites and easing transportation barriers for patients in north central Massachusetts. “Lack of transportation options is a major issue in the Service Area. The lack of transportation options inhibits access to jobs, childcare, and healthcare,” the application said. “Some patients, particularly elderly, disabled, and mentally ill patients, are dependent on their caregivers’ schedules to get to necessary appointments because public transportation is inadequate.” Elder Affairs Secretary Elizabeth Chen, who serves on the council, told hospital representatives she wanted to commend them “for modernizing your facilities.” “As I recall reading, this is a high public-payer hospital, and so when I read that the facilities haven’t been modernized since 1960, this needs to be done,” Chen said. “This allows for patients, it allows for your population to remain in community…it gives people access to a modern facility and modern surgical techniques, and you are a high public-payer hospital, and thank you. Thank you for giving your populations that kind of access.” – Katie Lannan/SHNS
