Blog Digest: Ask Your Vaccine Questions, Mass General Brigham, and the American Rescue Plan

The COVID Vaccine: Be in the Know

Now that employee vaccine appointments are available through Employee Health again, you may have unanswered questions. If you want an expert to come answer all the questions you and your co-workers have, please let SHARE know. We would be happy to help arrange a conversation with a knowledgeable member of our community. Learn more about COVID, the vaccines, what SHARE members want to know, and what experts have to say in this roundup.

If you have not yet received your COVID-19 vaccine and would like to, please call the Employee Health Services COVID-19 Vaccination Information Line at 508-334-0070. Employee Health staff will take your information and schedule an appointment for you.

What Could the Mass General Brigham Expansion Mean for SHARE Members?

You’ve likely seen the recent email from UMass Memorial CEO Eric Dickson about our hospital’s concern that the Mass General Brigham (MGB) plans to spend $400 million to build new ambulatory centers and clinics, including one in Westborough. The MGB’s proposal, as Dr. Dickson states, “puts the most vulnerable patients of our region at an even more unfair disadvantage to gain access to high-quality care.”

The SHARE Executive Board at Marlborough Hospital is particularly concerned about MGB taking away UMass Memorial patients. If patients decide to get their outpatient care there, those patients are likely to be referred to drive into Boston when they need inpatient care too. If a substantial number of patients choose MGB, that could threaten jobs at Marlborough Hospital. Read more . . .

The American Rescue Plan: Meaningful Spending for Americans, but No Hazard Pay

The Federal government has passed a $1.9 trillion bill designed to better help Americans protect themselves against the devastating health and economic effects of the pandemic. The program contains lots of good news for families and cities and towns, but it doesn’t include hazard pay. Read more . . .