Worcester chamber, UMass Memorial, community groups oppose Mass General Brigham expansion
Photo | Courtesy | Mass General Brigham
A rendering of the planned Mass General Brigham outpatient center on West Park Drive in Westborough
A group of Central Massachusetts entities including the Worcester and Marlborough chambers of commerce, UMass Memorial Health and community groups have formed a coalition opposed to Mass General Brigham's expansion plans, which include a new outpatient facility in Westborough.
The opponents, in a new group called the Coalition to Protect Community Care, have cited existing services in Westborough and other areas where Mass General Brigham plans outpatient centers, including Woburn and an expanded site in Westwood, as the healthcare giant looks to grow its footprint outside the immediate Boston area.
UMass Memorial Health, the Worcester-based health provider, first came out in opposition to the Westborough plans in February, as the Worcester Business Journal previously reported.
Now it's joined by Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce and community groups including United Way of Central Massachusetts, Central West Justice Center, which has a Worcester office, Worcester Community Action Council, Thrive Support & Advocacy of Marlborough, YWCA Central Massachusetts and the Boys & Girls Club of Worcester.
Coghlin Electrical Contractors of Worcester has also joined, as have other healthcare entities including Shields Health Care Group of Quincy and Wellforce, a company including Lowell General Hospital, MelroseWakefield Hospital and Tufts Medical Center.
The Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce cited worries about an impact on access to care, local jobs and healthcare costs. The United Way and YWCA both cited a potential worsening of health disparities.
Mass General Brigham, formerly Partners HealthCare, issued a statement in response to the opposition.
"We are focused on bringing primary care, mental health services, ambulatory surgery, imaging and specialty care to our existing patients in more affordable, cost-effective settings. We have tens of thousands of existing patients that will benefit from getting their care closer to home, instead of driving to Boston," it said.
"The regulatory process currently underway is not intended as a forum for competitors to protect their economic interests. It is supposed to be a determination, on the health care merits, of the value of the investment," the statement said. "If it provides a positive benefit to patients, it should be approved. Our proposed health care projects clearly meet that standard, and will allow us to deliver the right care, at the right time, in the right place and at a lower cost."
The company is going through regulatory reviews now for its expansion plan, which includes new patient buildings at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The Westborough facility would be located in a new building planned for at 1400 W. Park Drive off Route 9.
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I am a resident of Westborough, and my family and I receive and have received medical care and services at Tufts, Boston Childrens, Mass General Brigham, UMass and St Vincent's to name a few. I have been traveling in and out of Boston for care for my daughter for over 35 years. The commutes are expensive, time consuming and more importantly have an impact on daily quality of life. Who wants to spend 1/2 a day one or two days a week commuting in heavy traffic to get to and from medically necessary appointments? I want Massachusetts General Brigham to come to Westborough. MGB is an outstanding medical institution and provider of state of the art medical care and services. Patients have many choices as to where they receive their medical care. Competition is good. It is so wrong and selfish for UMass to put their concerns (financial and market share) before that of patient needs and care. I should think UMass would want to invest their time, resources and energy into stepping up their game, instead of trying to make the lives of MGB patients more difficult due to continued long commutes for care. MGB already has a huge 42,000+ market share of current patients within Westborough and the surrounding towns. The new facility they plan to build in Westborough will be a wonderful addition to the community, and best of all, will improve the lives and health care services for many. YES to the new proposed MGB facility in Westborough.
Competition benefits individuals and the community. For those looking for Mass General/Brigham options closer to home, this is a win. For those wanting to stay elsewhere, this is a non-starter. The only problem I see is that other medical facilities are worried about profit losses, not giving patients the option of choosing what is best for them.
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