DPH presses Framingham Union for more answers regarding upcoming NICU closure
PHOTO | WBJ FILE
Framingham Union Hospital is part of the two-hospital campus of MetroWest Medical Center, which also includes Leonard Morse Hospital in Natick.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has requested more information from Framingham Union Hospital after the medical institution returned a DPH-mandated strategy for how neonatal intensive care services will continue to be maintained throughout the area as the hospital’s NICU closure date nears.
DPH’s request comes after the state agency deemed Framingham Union’s NICU an essential service following the hospital’s April announcement that it planned to shutter its 12-bassinet unit by June 10, citing diminishing utilization rates and staff retention difficulties.
After receiving Framingham Union’s plan on May 9, DPH has requested additional information on five of the hospital’s strategies outlined, according to a letter sent to Lianne Ankner, an attorney representing Framingham Union.
First, DPH is looking for further clarification on the steps Framingham Union is taking to transition to a step-down NICU, a proposal the hospital detailed in its strategic plan following public outcry. The hospital had written that it was working on a clinical affiliation model to provide a lower level of advanced neonatal practitioner coverage as opposed to closing its NICU all together. DPH has specifically inquired about what Framingham Union’s plan is to maintain care within this NICU classification and a timeline of opening it.
Second, the agency’s letter addressed Framingham Union’s claims of decreased utilization and staffing challenges, requesting more information as to what the hospital has done to staff and market its NICU in order to evaluate the reasons for this decline.
Virginia Ford, a registered nurse at Framingham Union’s maternity ward, had previously told WBJ that the hospital was delivering fewer babies admitted to its NICU not because of decreased need, but because the hospital had slowly decreased its number of OBGYN providers from 30 to two.
Tenet Healthcare, the Dallas-based parent company of Framingham Union, has not yet commented on the reason for the NICU’s lowered occupancy.
Third, DPH has requested a detailed explanation as to what the clinical transfer agreement and continuity protocols entail that Framingham Union hospital said it had entered into with both Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester and Boston Medical Center - Brighton, formerly known as St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center.
Fourth, DPH is looking for more information regarding Framingham Union’s claim it will enhance its community engagement following its NICU closure, including monthly meetings with Framingham and Natick healthcare professionals. DPH wants to know when those meetings will take place, the agenda items, and for how many months the hospital plans to host the meetings.
Lastly, DPH is requesting specifics as to Framingham Union’s claim it has confirmed four primary alternative sites for patients with multilingual education and interpreter services needs, including which sites those are and the specific cultural competency training curriculum those hospital staff are currently undergoing.
Framingham Union has been given 10 days from the receipt of the letter to respond.
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.
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