UMass Memorial defied regulations in rushed detox closure, but DPH rejects union’s call for public hearing
Photo | Timothy Doyle
UMass Memorial Medical Center's University campus, which is one of the hospitals in the UMass Memorial Health system.
After UMass Memorial Health announced it would close its teen detox center, much to the dismay of its labor union, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has stated the Worcester healthcare system violated a regulatory requirement with its rushed closure, yet the regulators have denied the union's request to hold a public hearing.
UMass Memorial gave a 32-day notice on June 5 it would shutter its Motivating Youth Recovery program on July 7, breaching regulations set by the state’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services by failing to give a 90-day notice of the program’s impending closure. Under the BSAS’s requirement, UMass Memorial needed to provide this notice to patients, staff members, and labor unions representing facility workers, DPH said in an email to WBJ.
MYR, provided through UMass Memorial’s affiliate Community HealthLink, is a 12-bed facility providing detox services to teens 13 to 19 living with substance-use disorders. The healthcare system cited declining utilization with more patients seeking alternative treatment as the reason for its closure.
UMass Memorial’s decision to close MYR was met with uproar by members of SEIU Local 509, the labor union representing 31 MYR workers, claiming the healthcare system should have done more to market the program. SEIU then called upon DPH to hold a public hearing on the closure to allow providers, leaders, and community members a chance to vouch for its necessity within the region.
DPH told WBJ on Thursday it is not planning on holding a hearing, as one is not required under BSAS regulations. Still, UMass Memorial’s regulation breach leaves the system open to possible consequences.
“Any demonstration of non-compliance with regulatory requirements can impact BSAS’s evaluation of an entity's suitability to provide substance use disorder services in the future,” DPH wrote to WBJ.
In response to DPH’s decision to not follow through with a hearing, SEIU Local said it fight to keep MYR open.
“Our union will continue to explore all possible ways to keep this vital program open so that young people in Worcester can receive the support they need and deserve,” Natalia Berthet García, communications director at SEIU Local, said in an email to WBJ.
DPH states Community HealthLink verbally notified BSAS on May 27 of its intent to close the program in early July, subsequently sending a request on June 18 for DPH to waive the 90-day notice requirement, a request denied by the agency.
MYR’s request did not come without forewarning to DPH. The agency said BSAS had been working to support MYR for several years and knew its low occupancy levels were affecting its long-term viability, a fact confirmed by UMass Memorial in an email to WBJ.
“Community HealthLink has been in regular communication with our state agency partners about the challenges facing the Motivating Youth Recovery program,” said the email. “Over the last several years, it has become clear that there is not a demand for MYR’s model of care, despite significant efforts to boost referrals and awareness. While difficult, our decision to close the program is necessary to help address CHL’s ongoing financial and operational challenges.”
BSAS will continue to work with Community HealthLink in an effort to preserve the service until a viable alternative is found, DPH said.
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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