Following hundreds of claims of safety lapses, a joint investigation by state and federal regulators, and a plan of correction, patient safety concerns have persisted at Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts, said union nurses in a recent complaint letter.
The nurses, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), also alleged that the hospital's Dallas-based for-profit owner, Tenet Healthcare, continues to retaliate against whistleblower nurses who speak publicly about the hospital's conditions.
In early August, the MNA shared the findings of a joint investigation into Saint Vincent by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH). The investigation began in January, shortly after nurses from Saint Vincent and other Tenet-owned hospitals met with DPH Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD.
MNA had previously filed six complaints to DPH over a 2-year period. In 2021, nurses at Saint Vincent went on strike for 10 months, after they alleged that staffing practices were unsafe. Three years later, eight nurses sued the hospital for wrongful termination, claiming they were retaliated against for reporting unsafe conditions.
During the investigation this year, health officials chose a sample of 21 patient cases for review, interviewed staff, and pored over months of medical records, the Boston Globe reported. Out of the 21 patients, officials found five who suffered "preventable serious...
New York-based partner Frank A. Mazzagatti is scheduled to present at the 2025 Illinois Association of Healthcare Attorneys (IAHA) 43rd Annual Health Law Symposium on November 6, 2025, in Chicago, ...